It's Complicated
by Hydei
Summary: "Nothing worthwhile is ever without complications." When Danielle Moretti joined the WMHS Glee club her freshman year of high school, she never expected how much her life, and the lives of others, would be changed forever. Sticks to the basic plot of 'Glee' from seasons one to four. PuckXOC; OCXOC's; plus all the canon 'Glee' couples.
1. Chapter One

_I do not own glee. Songs are "For Your Entertainment" by Adam Lambert and "I'm Still Here" by John Rzeznik (from the Goo Goo Dolls)._

**1:1 Something Unexpected**

Scene 1- Stroker's Club

The dilapidated building sits along a busy highway just outside of Westerville. It's the only one along the road and looks small and abandoned, with faded posters plastered on all sides. There are no lights around it save for one small bulb shining right in front of the entrance. The bulky man that stands in front of it is casually smoking a cigarette and eyeing the young man approaching him lazily.

Noah Puckerman takes a small breath as he stands in front of the bouncer, throwing twenty five dollars onto his stand. The man flashes his flashlight over Puck's fake ID carelessly; barely glancing at it, then thumbs the boy in. Puck hides his shock and shuffles inside. It's his first time in this particular club and he's a little surprised at the lax regulations. Usually he has to find a cougar to take him in, not that he'd tell anyone that.

Puck walks down a moldy smelling hallway, admiring the brass lamps on the walls that give off barely enough light for him to see where he is going.

_This place has to be at least a hundred years old._ he thinks.

Finally he comes to a set of metal doors. On the other side, pulsing dance music can be heard along with the rowdy laughter of drunken men. Colorful lights shoot out from under the cracks, throwing a rainbow on his black boots. Puck takes a deep breath, hand brushing over his Mohawk, and pushes his way inside.

The main room is dark, nearly pitch black along the edges, with stray beams of colorful light occasionally sweeping over the rows of tables. A large stage sits in the center of the room. Bright white lights and colorful strobes shine down on the bikini-clad women who dance and grind on stage.

Puck's attention is immediately drawn to the women, both on the stage and amongst the crowd of men seated at tables. He squints into the darkness and locates an empty table in a place where he won't attract any attention sits down just as the girls start to leave and the lights dim down. He is practically shaking with excitement.

"Are all of you fine gentlemen ready for the treat your about to get tonight?" the DJ calls out from his spot high above the patrons. The men in the club cheer and cat-call stupidly. Puck leans forward to see the stage better. "From Lima Heights comes the talented, the sassy-" the DJ practically 'purrs' -"the sexy…Monica LaRue!"

The music starts and soon there are a dozen blonde dancers dressed in blue bikini-like uniforms on stage, shaking and grinding to the electronic beat. Puck assumes that some of them are wearing wigs, because all their hair is the same exact color and long length.

Then a new girl seems to appear from the middle of the crowd. She's in blue and black tiger-striped shorts and a black tube top. Her short black bob and different outfit contrasts with the almost identical blonde girls. She immediately goes to the center of the dancers and joins in the dancing, but her movements are sharper and more dramatic. She was obviously meant to stand apart from the others.

_This must be Monica._ Puck thinks.

Then, she begins to sing.

_So hot, out the box, can we pick up the pace?_

_Turn it up, heat it up I need to be entertained_

_Push the limit Are you with it? Baby, don't be afraid,_

_I'ma hurt ya' real good, baby_

As she sang, Monica continued to dance with the other girls. They practically took up the whole stage. For a run-down club, Puck thought, they were pretty okay. Monica was obviously the best, though, with her dynamic movements and rough voice…and a look in her eyes that made even him squirm in his seat.

_No escaping when I start_

_Once I'm in I own your heart_

_There's no way to ring the alarm_

_So hold on until it's over!_

The dancing picks up speed and the girl moved out from the center and closer to the edge of the stage.

_Oh, do you know what you got into?_

_Can you handle what I'm 'bout to do?_

_'Cause it's about to get rough for you_

_I'm here for your entertainment_

_Oh, I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet_

_Yeah fallen angel swept ya off ya feet_

_Well I'm about to turn up the heat_

_I'm here for your entertainment!_

Now, the dancers move out into the crowd of waiting men. Monica remains on the stage, though, singing and showing off her flexibility with elaborate dance moves. It was very impressive. Puck is watching her, mostly staring at her ass, until he is interrupted by an accommodating blond right in front of him. She distracts him for a little while.

_This place is great!_ Puck thinks as he watches the girl dance in front of him.

By the time the blond wanders off with some of Puck's money in her bra, some of the dancers had returned to the stage but Monica was nowhere to be seen. The girls sing softly.

_Oh-oh…mmmm_

_Entertainment…_

_Oh oh…..Oh entertainment…_

_I'm here for your entertainment…_

Suddenly, a huge spotlight shines down on a set of stairs next to the stage. Monica stands at the top and starts making her way down dramatically, pausing every few steps to hang off the side rail or lift her leg onto the railing. Now she sings by herself again.

_Oooohhh!_

_Do you like what you see?_

_Wooooaaaahhhh!_

_Let me entertain ya 'till you screeaaam!_

_Sweet Lord, that voice_, Puck thought and for an instant, forgot about the dancing women, focusing only Monica's singing.

But then Monica returns to center stage again, dancing with the others in synchronization. It isn't as good as when she moved by herself, though.

_Oh! I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet (bet ya thought)_

_Yeah fallen angel swept ya' off your feet_

_Well I'm about to turn up the heat (turn up the heat)_

_I'm here for your entertainment!_

On the lat note the lights immediately dim as the girls saunter out to the hooting men. Puck is soon too distracted by a pair of bodacious women that he forgets all about Monica LaRue, who had disappeared as soon as the song ended.

Scene 2- WMHS hallway

_God, I hate Tuesdays._

Puck is walking through the halls of William McKinley High School, trying to ignore the intense urge he always got to just ditch school for the rest of the week. As he walks, he thinks about his latest argument with his baby-mamma Quinn. She was pissed at him for skipping school that Monday and yelled at him for being irresponsible.

"Babe, I was recovering from a hangover! It would have been _irresponsible_ to come to school or I probably woulda killed someone." Puck had argued.

That wasn't entirely true. Puck's Friday night party at the club only resulted in a weekend hangover but he knew he'd be a fool not to milk it and get as much time off as possible.

"This is exactly why I don't want you to come near me, or my baby." Quinn spat in a whisper before storming away. Beings nobody knew that Puck was the father of Quinn's baby, they always had to talk in secret.

Puck breathed out a sigh.

_Okay so, I may not be the smartest guy, _he thinks as he walks down the hall_, but Noah Puckerman is no dummy. Quinn's obviously been super stressed, what with all the upchucking and crying and baby stuff. I should be able to do something to help take the pressure off her. I mean, she's having my baby. And like it or not I'm gonna be there for her. But she won't actually let me near her. So, I'm just gonna have to work in secret. Starting with this glee club problem…_

Ever since Rachel-stinkin'-Berry left their Glee club last week, Schuester has been putting way too much pressure on Quinn to fill her spot. Puck needed to find another star to lighten Quinn's load maybe then she'll let him-

_Whoa, wait a sec!_

Puck turns rapidly to stare at the girl that just walked by him. At a glance, she didn't look like much. She was average height, with a small frame and wavy auburn hair that hung in her face. It was hard to tell whether she had a hot body or not because her baggy clothes hid any curves she might have.

_Still, she looks familiar…_

Puck stares after her retreating figure, squinting a little. He is sure he's never spoken to her before and is about to walk away but then he looks down past her waist and jolts.

"Wait a second…" he mutters excitedly to himself, "I know that ass!"

Puck turns and chases after the girl through the crowded hallway. When he reaches her, he grabs her shoulder and twists her around to face him.

"Hey! What the heck-"the girl starts angrily, raising her hand to Puck. She looks like she is about to slap him but then sees his intense gaze and stops. She puts her hand down and blushes. "Uh…"

"I know you." Puck says forcefully.

The girl looks at him suspiciously with dark green eyes that are still wide with shock. Puck notices that she also has dark freckles splattered across her pale face. He thinks that she must be a freshman, but something about her eyes made her look older, like she was a tired woman in a young girl's body.

"Uh…ok. What do you want, exactly?" the girl asks him, tilting her chin up slightly to look him in the eyes.

"You're the girl from Stroker's…M-marissa, Mary…?" Puck stuttered, trying to remember.

The girl's eyes widen but she doesn't move.

"Monica! You're Monica."

Suddenly hostile, the girl pulls her arm out of Puck's grasp and snaps at him, "Excuse me?"

"You know that club out by the freeway? You sang that super sexy song, and you were amazing-"

The hallway is starting to empty but neither Puck nor the girl take any notice.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…" the girl says, waving her hand to silence Puck, "First of all, my name _isn't_ Monica. Second, did you just call me a stripper?!"

_What?_ "Well you didn't really strip. You just kinda danced but-" Puck starts lamely.

"Ok, look guy, I think you have me confused with someone else."

"No, I know you. I never forget an ass. And I've been dreaming about yours for the past four days"

The girl looks reproachfully at him as if questioning his sanity.

Puck's resolve is faltering. "I mean…"

The girl just rolls her eyes and glares at him. "Look…please don't talk to me again, okay?" he lowers her voice,"This place kinda sucks as is and the last thing I need is for a rumor to spread saying I'm a stripper."

She turns and walks away just as the bell rings. Puck, once again, stares after her retreating figure.

"But I never forget an ass." He mutters to himself confusedly and turns to walk away.

He is completely unaware of Santana walking by the girl in the hall less than a minute later and viciously calling her "Danny Boy" while the other cheerleaders laugh. The girl hunches in on herself and hurriedly walks away.

Scene 3- Strokers Club-The Next Friday

The club is once again booming with club music with some girls dancing expertly on the huge stage. It's already very late when Puck steps into the club and starts scanning the crowd for the mystery girl, Monica. He's here to settle this once and for all.

His eyes land on the women onstage and he is momentarily distracted. After experiencing firsthand how hard performing can be from the Glee club Invitational the other day, Puck has a little more respect for them. But before he can make a move towards them, he stops himself and squares his shoulders.

_Nuh, uh. Gotta keep looking…_

Puck continues scanning the dark interior of the club, looking for a girl with either dark auburn waves or a short black bob. Finally, he spots a familiar looking girl in a bright uniform with short black hair. Monica.

_That girl in school did look different, _Puck concludes. He concludes that her hair must be covered with a wig and that she is wearing make-up so her freckles weren't visible. But the eyes looked familiar...and that ass...

It was her. He was sure.

Monica is casually walking around the club with a drink in her hand. Occasionally, she gets wolf whistles from the seated men. She winks and inclines her head towards them, a playful look in her eyes.

Puck starts walking towards her, waving his arm to catch her attention. When she sees him, Monica's eyes widen in horror and she visibly slumps. She does not, however, try to run away or get him kicked out. Eventually, she composes herself and moves to meet him halfway across the space between them.

"Hey-" Puck starts when he's close enough, but Monica makes a motion to cut him off. She gestures the edge of the club and starts walking over to find a table. Puck makes a face at being interrupted, but follows her.

Monica leads him to an alcove were it is slightly less loud than the rest of the club and takes a seat. Puck sits also; feeling proud of himself…but he does hate how defeated the girl looks.

_Snap out of it, Puckerman. You won._

"I knew you'd come back eventually." Monica tells him blatantly, not sounding at all ashamed for lying to him. "I mean, I hoped you wouldn't come back but…" she gestures to him, "you're stubborn."

Puck looks up and down her body in appreciation. "I know a babe when I see one."

The girl winces, folds her arms over her chest and looks away. They sit silently for a few moments.

"…So, you're the girl, right? The one from school?"

She sighs. "Yeah. I am. I just," she points at herself, "this isn't exactly something you want ending up in the school paper, ya' know?"

Puck nods. Then, he leans across the table and whispers to her, "Isn't it illegal for you to work here? You're like…fifteen."

The girl laughs, and the sound makes Puck want to smile, but there's a bitter twist on it that makes him feel uncomfortable at the same time.

"Do I look fifteen?" she asks, brows raised in some twisted kind of amusement.

Puck grins and is about to make a smart reply, but she gives him a look that takes the words out of his mouth. Her eyes looked aged again, and the expression she wore would not belong to any fifteen, sixteen or seventeen year old girl he knew. In a way it reminded him of Quinn, who was slowly becoming more distant and...older.

She leans back into her chair a little and tilts her chin up defiantly. "I'm sixteen, actually." She defends herself. "Besides, isn't it illegal for you to be here? You're only a year older than me."

Puck grins and looks seductively into the girl's eyes. "Tell that to the cougars I was with earlier."

She snorts and Puck recoils, confused by her reaction. There is another pause as Puck looks out into the club, watching the activity and trying to figure this girl out.

"So…did I miss your performance?" he asks casually. "You're-" he catches her warning look, "-y-you sure can sing."

The girl eyes him for a moment then leans back in her chair assuming a business-like air. "Yes, you did." She tells him seriously, "And you're not going to see another one either. You're not coming back here anymore." She folds her arms and stares at him, waiting for him to argue.

He doesn't disappoint.

Puck jumps up, "Whoa, what-"

"I'll have Moses and Jon keep an eye out for you. I don't want you in here ever again, got it?"

"But this is my place-" Puck starts angrily.

"Find another." She says curtly. Then, as an afterthought, "I _was_ here first."

Puck also folds his arms, but it looks child-ish compared to Monica and he quickly unfolds them. He is obviously angry, though, and fumes in silence for a moment.

"...Or what?" he finally questions slyly.

""Or what" what?"

"Well, it seems to me that I'm the one holding the bargaining chips here."

He watches her face for any sign of annoyance or fear but she just stares back steadily, showing no sign of wavering.

"I could tell the whole school about your little night job." Something flashes in the depths of her eyes and Puck knows he has her. "I can spread this story faster than a fat chick can spread Nutella on a piece of toast."

The girl rises from her seat and glares down at him, leaning on the table. "You wouldn't _dare_."

_She's actually a little threatening. _Puck thinks. _But not threatening enough._

Puck also rises and glares right back at her: "Oh, I would. And I'll do it without the guilt trip. Do you know how badass I am? I steal candy from kids on Halloween then spit in their little faces."

_Her glare could burn through a metal wall,_ Puck thinks wonderingly.

He breaks eye contact with her, and leans back casually, trying to look un-intimidated by her intense gaze. "Unless…"

He pauses, waiting for her to jump in. She remains silent and continues to glare at him.

Puck continues. "Unless, you get that sweet voice of yours to Glee club-"

"What?" she gasps.

"-and help me fill a little gap. See, our MVP singer (this total nag) has been a little flaky on us. All's we need is another person to join in, just in case she decides to leave the group again. That way, we aren't totally screwed. Plus, you're almost as good a singer as she is-

The girl holds up her hand, telling him to stop talking. He does.

"Wait, wait, wait…you're blackmailing me to join your _Glee club_?" she asks incredulously. "Are you serious? Why are you even _in _glee club?"

"That's none of your business." Puck deadpans. "And this is a deadly serious offer."

She shakes her head and looks back out into the club, fuming….but also considering.

After a minute, Puck sighs and takes the confident act down a notch. "Look, I promise to never tell anyone about this place or come back her again if you join Glee club." He softens his voice and tells her sincerely, "You really do have an amazing voice, and I'm not just saying that 'cause I want to get into your pants." He pauses for a beat. "Although if you're willing…"

The girl snorts in laughter. Encouraged, Puck grins and holds out his hand to her. "Deal?"

The girl looks out into the club again, thinking.

Finally she sighs and Puck knows he's won. "Don't make me regret this, Puckerman." she practically growls at him. Funny, he doesn't think he ever introduced himself. Grinning, Puck holds out his hand to her. After a pause Monica reaches out and shakes it uncertainly. They hold for a moment, looking at each other the corners of their mouths tilting up-

"Monica!" screams a shrill voice.

Puck and Monica jump apart.

"Get back here, girl, you're not off yet!" a large black woman shrieks from the stairs next to the stage. "This isn't a date!" she hollers before turning around and going back up the stairs.

"I thought you said your name wasn't Monica?" Puck asks, still staring after the woman.

She sighs. "It isn't. It's my…my stage name." She runs her hand through her hair and takes a deep breath. "I have to go. I guess…I'll see you in Glee club?"

He nods at her. She makes a face at him and starts to walk away.

Puck watches her for a moment then realizes something. "Wait a second!" he yells, chasing after her. The girl pauses on the stairs next to the stage and turns back to him, eyebrow raised.

"What's your name, then?" he asks, a little breathlessly.

The girl gives him a coy grin.

"Danielle."

And then she takes off again.

Puck turns around, starts walking out of the club and, slowly, smiles to himself.

"Danielle, huh?" he murmurs.

Scene 4- Choir Room

_Come _on_. They're Gleeks, for crying out loud. Just walk in and sing. No big deal._

Danielle watches through the door as the Glee club members walk around the room, laughing and talking. They look so close to each other, already a tight knitted group.

_Okay, so it's a little intimidating,_ Danielle admits to herself, _but nothing I can't handle._

With that thought, Danielle opens the door to the choir room and strolls inside. Once they see her, Danielle hears some of the kids pause mid-conversation to stare but she keeps walking until she comes to Mr. Schue who is standing by the piano. She had already talked to him the day before about joining and he was very nice…although he did seem to be a little addicted to ugly sweater vests. He smiles when he sees her and welcomes her.

"Ew, who invited "Danny Boy"?" says a familiar voice behind her.

Mr. Schue gives a resigned exhale and Danielle squares her shoulders.

_It's just Santana,_ she thinks, _it's not even worth it._

She and Santana had grown up together. They both lived in Lima Heights and were about the same age. However, when Santana went to middle school and left Danielle behind, she starting teasing her and making fun of the way she dressed. Danielle stopped trying to bridge the gap between them long ago and now took her jabs in silence.

_Sticks and stones may break my bones, but Santana's still a whore. _she reminds herself.

The bell rings and Danielle becomes uncomfortably aware that everyone is now staring at her as they take their seats. There is whispering and snickering. Danielle looks around the room and finally catches Puck's eye but he just stares back at her blankly.

_Well, I guess I wasn't really expecting any support…_she tells herself.

It still hurts though.

"Okay, guys." Mr. Schue claps his hands together. "This is Danielle Moretti. She talked to me earlier about joining the glee club and I said,-"he pauses then opens his arms wide with a huge grin, "-we could always use another! So I would like you guys to kinda help Danielle get settled in…"

"Looks like we just got some more guy-power in this group." Santana murmurs to no one in particular.

_She's not worth it; she's not worth it…_

"Mr. Schue, if I may?" interrupts a badly dressed brunette with a big nose. Danielle dislikes her instantly. "I know that my absence has made this club a little…well…needy, but there's really no reason that I can see for Danielle to have to join." She shrugs a little, barely glancing at Danielle.

_Like I'm not even there._

"I'm back and I'm not going anywhere. And to be honest, I don't really get why she's here to begin with." The brunette finishes, shrugging her shoulders, as if that settled t matter.

"Hear, hear." Santana supplies.

Mr. Schue looks shocked "Guys!"

Suddenly, the whole room is muttering, and it does _not_ sound good. Puck just glances around, trying to avoid Danielle's gaze. It doesn't matter, though. Danielle is no longer searching for his support. She is staring down at the brunette.

"You must be the flaky soloist." Danielle pauses as the room silences and the brunette, Rachel, turns from her conversation with a weird Asian girl that's in Danielle's grade to meet her gaze.

"You're right." Danielle starts, coolly. "There's no reason that you _would_ see for me to be here. To you, I'm just another shadow passing through the halls of this prison, practically invisible and totally not worth your attention."

A small boy with perfectly styled hair looks up, piqued. "A poet amongst us?"

"But fortunately, there are some people that can see over their big nose and even bigger ego long enough to realize that everything isn't always about what's best for them." She continues and looks around the room. "I thought this was supposed to be a team activity, not the 'We All Just Sing Back-Up to an Annoying Little Brunette That Dresses like a Five-Year-Old' club."

"Danielle…" Mr. Schu warns.

The Glee kids stir, some of them grinning as Rachel pouts at the ground. The room is silent for a moment.

Danielle looks down a little, "Look, a little birdie told me you guys needed help,"

Puck mutters to himself, "More like a super-awesome falcon."

Danielle continues, "I didn't exactly want to be here…but I'm here now." She looks up; squaring her shoulders and speaks a little louder. "I'm here and you're all just going to have to deal with it."

The room is silent again and this time nobody is smiling. Mr. Schue watches the scene seriously from his chair.

Finally, a black girl in bright clothing speaks up. "So…can you sing?"

Danielle looks at her for a moment, then briskly walks over to band and murmurs with them. She then returns to the center of the room and takes a deep breath.

The music starts and she closes her eyes, as if meditating. Then she opens them and begins to sing.

_I am a question to the world, not an answer to be heard,_

_or a moment that's held in your arms._

_And what do you think you'd ever say? I won't listen anyway._

_You don't know me, and I'll never be what you want me to be._

The glee clubbers exchange glances, surprised by the rough yet smooth voice inside this outspoken girl.

_And what do you think you'd understand?_

_You don't know who-o I am._

_You can't take me and throw me away._

_And how can you learn what's never shown?_

_Yeah, you stand here on your own._

_They don't know me 'cause I'm not here…_

Danielle screws her eyes shut and sings louder than she's even sung before, always having some sort of microphone at the club and never singing anywhere else. It feels nice to let go.

_And I want a moment to be real,_

_Wanna touch things I don't feel,_

_Wanna hold on and feel I belong._

_And how can the world want me to change?_

_They're the ones that stay the same._

_They don't know me,_

_'Cause I'm not here._

As she continues singing there are different reactions throughout the club. Mercedes and Kurt clutch hands excitedly, eyes wide. Puck, Artie, Tina and Finn watch the performance in approval. Santana and Rachel pout at the girl.

_They can't tell me who to be, 'cause I'm not what they see._

_And the world is still sleepin', while I keep on dreamin' for me._

_And their words are just whispers and lies that I'll never believe…_

But when she hits that note, she takes it even further, higher and longer than the original song calls for. Everyone's eyes widen at her vocals…except Puck who just looks smug.

_And I want a moment to be real,_

_Wanna touch things I don't feel,_

_Wanna hold on and feel I belong._

_And how can the world want me to change?_

_They're the ones that stay the same._

_They don't know me,_

_'Cause I'm not here._

_I'm the one!_

_'Cause I'm still here._

_I'm still here!_

_I'm still here_

_I'm still here…_

When she finishes, she takes a deep breath and listens to sounds of applause around the room. She looks up to see everyone clapping, even Santana and Rachel grudgingly.

Mr. Schue comes up to her and throws an arm around her, which makes her visibly uncomfortable. "Welcome to the glee club!" he says enthusiastically.

Danielle slips out of his grasp and gives the group a small smile. Then, she takes a seat in between the Asian girl in her grade and the black girl. At one particularly loud whistle, she turns around and sees Puck giving her a small grin. She winks at him secretly in return and gives a small grin of her own to the boy who brought her here.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	2. Chapter Two

_I do not own glee. _

**1:2 Just Like Middle School**

Scene 1-Choir Room

Danielle stands in the noisy choir room, observing the scene in front of her with disgust.

Rachel and Santana seem to be arguing about something trivial again, (probably Rachel's beak) and for some reason they feel it's necessary for the whole Glee club to hear about it.

She sighs to herself over their shouts.

Ever since she joined the club, Danielle has been bored out of her mind. The kids obviously don't take practices seriously (which doesn't really bother her) and they spend most of their time going over stupid dance routines. What really annoyed her was the fact that all the dance routines are cheesy and extremely simple. Danielle and a few others glide through them with ease while Finn, Mercedes and Tina stumble around like drunkards.

Sitting beside Danielle, Mercedes is texting like crazy. Out of all the girls she met in the Glee club, Mercedes is by far the most genuine and Danielle likes her immediately. Sometimes the diva's attitude and confidence can be too much, but she tells it like it is and Danielle finds it refreshing in a room filled with ambitious, conniving teenagers.

And Danielle knew about ambitious, conniving people.

Danielle split the dancers at the club were into three different categories: the stupid sluts, the bitchy whores and the tired, mom-like women just trying to make some money. The bitchy ones had tried their damndest to make Danielle's life a living hell from day one and were constantly trying to trick her into doing something wrong. They hated the fact that a teenage girl with who couldn't even walk in heels and had never worn make-up before was going to be the star of the show. To them, their job was a glamorous one whereas Danielle though her role was disgusting. The older women were kinder. Some of them had kids and all of them had other jobs. Danielle also worked another, less insulting, job. They taught her the ropes of the place and helped her train both her vocals and dancing. Now, she was one of the best dancers up there and certainly the best singer.

Not that her friends a McKinley knew anything about that.

Behind Mercedes, Kurt is also preoccupied on his phone. Judging by his girlish giggles, he's probably in the middle of a cat video. Tina is leaning over his shoulder, a small smile on her face.

Danielle watches them, wondering how she ended up becoming friendly with people that were so strange…and giggly, and happy, and shy, and…different.

_Different is probably the best word._ Danielle thinks as she moves her eyes away from the small group and looks around the room idly.

Eventually, Danielle's roving eyes catches Puck's attention. He nods to her and winks. She rolls her eyes, but grins to herself.

This has pretty much been the extent of their communication ever since she joined the club.

The bell rings and everyone stands in a cluster, lowering their voices to a murmur, waiting for Mr. Schue to start the practice.

The man in question comes out of his small office and stands in the front of the room, looking more perky than usual. _Oh, boy._

"Competition." He says, starting his long monologue about how the Glee club has become too complacent lately. He worries that at this rate, they won't be ready for Regional's…which is still several months away.

Danielle yawns and she can sense the other kid's skepticism as well.

Mr. Schue then proposes that the Glee club would have a boys vs. girls competition where they would have to put together two songs for one performance

"Okay, split up. Guys on the left side, girls on the right side." Mr. Schue commands.

Danielle walks over with the other girls…and Kurt.

"Kurt." Mr. Schue warns, and points for him to join the boys. Kurt walks over, but is obviously unhappy with the situation. Danielle feels bad, but she kind of envies him, too. She'd rather spend a whole day with the guys and their stupidity than one more minute with Rachel and Santana.

"We'll trade you Danny Boy for Lady Hummel." Santana calls over to the guys, and though Danielle just wished for that, she blushes at the request.

She and Kurt glance at each other quickly, and Danielle can see that his cheeks are flaming too.

Mr. Schue ignores Santana (as usual) and then goes on to explain that the winner of the competition will get to choose the song for sectionals. Pumped, the girls walk away with Mercedes and Rachel forming a temporary truce and planning with each other. Danielle trails behind them, silently dreading what terrible pop songs they are going to pick.

Scene 2- Gym

The girls agreed to meet in the gym later that day to work on their mash-up. However, once they were all gathered, they split off and started doing their own thing. Santana was doing her makeup, Mercedes was painting Tina's nails, Brittany was stretching and Rachel and Quinn were MIA. A little lost, Danielle hangs out with Mercedes and Tina. She listens to their gossip and jokes around with them a bit. After awhile, she feels herself relax and actually enjoys their company.

Then Rachel comes in.

"O-ok, girls, we need to get started!"

"We're getting warmed up." Santana tells her, reapplying her mascara for the thousandth time.

Rachel looks around the gym confusedly. "Where's Quinn?"

"Probably down at the mall looking for elastic waist pants." Brittany says. Santana, Mercedes and Tina snicker. Danielle frowns.

Quinn's situation was bad. She was by no means ready to have a baby and Finn was not exactly father material yet. That doesn't mean it's okay to make fun of her, though. Quinn got unlucky. With all the girls that have sex without any kind of protection in high school, it's hard to believe Quinn's situation isn't school-wide. Or, at least, 'Cheerio'-wide. Maybe Tina and Mercedes can ridicule Quinn (they are both so obviously virgins), but Santana and Brittany have no right to talk about her.

"Mr. Schuester's right, you guys, we can't get complacent." Rachel says, interrupting Danielle's thoughts.

_Ugh…_

"Shut it, Berry." Danielle snaps. "That annoying habit you have to control everything is getting on my last nerve. And I've only been here for a week."

Rachel narrows her eyes at her, her bottom lip jutted out. Danielle just glares back through the mirror on the wall.

"Yeah, chill out. I already picked the songs." Mercedes says, sounding very at ease. "We're gonna do a mash-up of 'Halo' and 'Walkin' on Sunshine'."

"Ew." Danielle says under her breath. _What is with these girls and…fluffy music?_

"Yeah, that was my idea." Rachel says annoyingly.

"Whatever." Mercedes replies, making a face at her.

"Well, at least that explains the bad taste in music." Danielle mutters, and then raises her voice. "I don't like it. It's too…peppy."

"Too girly for you, Danny?" Santana mocks. "Maybe you should have gone with the boys. You guys could compare stories about things you've gotten caught in your hairy tarantula legs."

Danielle just flips her off. Her legs are _perfect_.

Mercedes continues to try to convince Rachel that they don't have anything to worry about. The girls decide to wing the performance because the boys have no chance of beating them even if they rehearse. Rachel, in the most Rachel-esque fashion, storms out of the practice angrily.

_Whatever_, Danielle thinks, returning to her conversation with Mercedes and Tina. She doesn't really care either way.

Scene 4- Choir Room

The girls sit close together on the piano bench in the choir room, waiting for the boy's performance to start. Danielle sits on the ground, watching the group of boys speculatively. They've been jumping around for the better part of five minutes, seeming unable to keep still. It's odd to say the least.

Finally, the boys line up and the lights dim. Suddenly, the room turns blue from the special stage lights, the music plays and the performance starts.

The mash-up is good; even Danielle knows it. And not just because Rachel's mouth practically drops to the ground. The guys are singing loudly and moving fast. They are a little uncoordinated and something seemed…off. They are all way too jumpy, their eyes too wide, pupils dilated…

_Wait a sec._ Danielle thinks, narrowing her eyes at them. _Are they high?!_

It's been awhile since Danielle has seen the symptoms firsthand, and she frowns in concentration, trying to decide.

When the show ends, the boys are still antsy and excitable and Mr. Schue makes a comment about someone slipping something in their juice boxes. He's probably joking, but his observation seems spot on.

Danielle raises an eyebrow at the boys, but they don't see her. Nobody ever does.

_Something is definitely wrong here_, she thinks to herself, but keeps her thought to herself.

Scene 5- Choir Room

"I told you guys!"

"We know. You've been berating us for the better part of an hour…"

Rachel scoffs at Santana's remark.

The girls are all sitting in the choir room later that day, doing damage control after the boy's performance. As per usual, Rachel took charge.

"Were they really that good?" Quinn asks which causes Rachel to go off on a shrill rant about how she's always right and everyone should just listen to her.

"How were we supposed to know they'd rock the house?" Mercedes interrupts. "I mean, they've never been good."

"How did they d-d-d-o it?" Tina stutters.

"Something was…off." Danielle puts in, quietly. All the girls turned to her. "Like they were high or something."

"_What_?" Rachel shrieks.

Danielle shrugs. "Think about it; nervous energy, dilated pupils, big stupid grins…"

"Very observant, Danielle."

Everyone turns to see Kurt in the doorway.

"Though I've been grouped with the boys, my allegiance still lies with you ladies." He starts walking in the room. "They declined my offer to do their hair in corn rose and all my artistic decisions have been derided as "too costly" because they involved several varieties of exotic bird feathers."

The girls all raise their eyebrows at Kurt.

"Okay, so…what did they do, Kurt?" Rachel asks.

"…We all took something." He tells her. "Finn got some pseudoephedrine from the new nurse and we all took some." His gaze glazes over. "It gave you this enormous energy boost, and you felt so good and energetic…like you could jump over the Empire State Building…" He looks back at the girls, "Anyway, that's the only reason we smoked our mash-up."

All of the girls but Danielle turn to each other, eyebrows raised in shock.

"Called it…" Danielle murmurs, covering her eyes with her hands and lounging back into her chair unconcernedly.

Scene 5- Nurses Office

Later, all of the girls stand in the nurse's office. Rachel had herded them in saying that she absolutely refused to lose to the boys and will do whatever it takes to win. Now, she looks more uncertain that Danielle has ever seen her.

"Everyone gets a dose," the nurse, Mrs. Schuester, says while handing out plastic cups of water, "oh, except for Quinn, you get folic acid." She lowers her voice, as if they all don't already know that Quinn is pregnant. "Momma. It's good for the baby."

She then turns away from the girls to scold some random Asian guy in her office.

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Rachel asks, her voice quivering a littlle.

"Oh, it's over the counter, it's safe. You can trust me, I'm a nurse. It's good for you." Mrs. Schuester assures them. It's not very convincing.

Danielle has her own doubts. When she was in middle school, she went through some…bad times. A couple of high schoolers that had been friendly with her sister noticed and offered her the same drugs her sister took to make her feel better. After experimenting with a couple of different things, she found that painkillers were most soothing for her. She quickly got addicted and it took a lot of time and energy for her to drop the pills. Since then, she refused to put any kind of drug in her body. This would be the first pill she's had in over a year.

_It's just pseudoephedrine_, she thinks to herself. _It's nothing like the opiates I used before._

"Well…" she said out loud, finally deciding.

All the girls look at her for breaking the silence.

Danielle sighs. "Looks like it's gonna be like middle school all over again." She throws the pill to the back of her throat expertly and slowly sips her water. The other girls give her bemused looks.

"Ooh, Danny Boy's a druggie now?" Santana teases. Nobody laughs.

"…You know that might not be a reputation you want to have." Mercedes warns Danielle quietly. Danielle just shrugs. "Are you guys taking them or not?" she demands.

The girls all look at each other one last time, then swallow their respective pills.

Scene 6- Choir Room

"Squawk, squawk squawk squawk squawk squawk. Squawk, squawk squawk!"

The girls were about to perform and Rachel was going on about something to Mr. Schue and Miss Pillsbury (the judge of the competition and the school guidance counselor), but Danielle couldn't really concentrate on what she was saying. She was talking way too fast.

Her instincts had been had been right earlier. This...energy boost was nothing like the numbing stupor she was in when she took painkillers. Her body was practically vibrating, and she bounced on the balls of her feet anxiously.

_C'mon, c'mon. I want to dance already!_ She thinks, looking around wildly.

She catches Mercedes' critical eye and deflates a little.

"What?" she asks, suddenly feeling self conscious.

"Isn't that dress is a little…"

Danielle flushes and looks down at her yellow dress (Rachel had forced all the girls to wear yellow dresses for the performance). Since Danielle obviously didn't own one, she had to borrow something from the club. The dress was too short for her to be comfortable in on school grounds and very lacy. The low V-neck collar was nothing but lace and showed a little too much cleavage.

"-short?" Mercedes continues.

Santana interrupts snarkily, "Too short, too tight, too slutty..."

Danielle shrugs. It _was_ showing way too much skin, but she found that she couldn't be too worried with the issue right now."It's all I could get on such short notice."

"From where?" Santana scoffs, "The local strip club? You can practically see your ovaries."

In response, Danielle does a little dance move that would most likely be deemed too racy for Rachel Berry's dance number. Mercedes and Santana's eyes both widen but they don't comment.

Rachel's squawking finally stops and suddenly, the music starts and they are moving!

The dance moves are still old-fashioned, but in super-speed, they aren't as boring as Schuester's usual choreography and Danielle twirls and dips and shakes her hips. She sings with the rest of the back-up girls energetically.

_These songs aren't as bad as I thought..._

Halfway through the number, she finds herself watching for the boy's reactions. Finn looks smug, Mike, Matt and Artie are jamming out, Kurt wears sunglasses but he is frowning and Puck looks impressed.

Puck catches Danielle's gaze and maintains eye contact with her through the rest of the show, wary of the unnaturally large smile on her face. When the song is over, she notices that her cheeks hurt a little.

The other girls are a little out of breath by the end of the performance, but Danielle sits up straight on the stage, her ears ringing a little.

She doesn't hear Mr. Schue's speech and doesn't really care what he's saying. She feels so pumped, so excited to dance again!

It's Friday. For the first time ever, Danielle can't wait to get to work tonight.

Scene 7- WMHS hallway

On Monday, Danielle puts her books in her locker a little dejectedly. Mr. Schue found out about their little "experiment" during the Mash-Up competitions and gave them a lecture in Glee club last period. Now, they are stuck with the nasty Coach Sue Sylvester as a co-coach in Glee club. Great.

"You know, I'm kinda disappointed in you." A deep voice says suddenly behind her.

Danielle fixes a small frown on her face and turns around.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" she asks the mohawked boy in front of her.

"It looked like you were finally bringing your work clothes to school. That dress you wore at the mash-up was smokin'!"

Danielle flushes. She's still embarrassed that she wore such a skimpy dress to the mash-up. Granted, she was practically high at the time and only the Glee clubbers saw her, but the memory still made her feel awkward.

Danielle scoffs at Puck's comment, but her eyes are bright.

"But now you're back to your T-shirts and ugly jeans." he continues, "And let's just say they don't do much for you."

_Ouch_. Danielle glares up at him. "Yeah, I get that thanks. I don't need you of all people telling me I look like crap. I get enough of that from your girlfriend."

Puck looks confused . "What? No, it's not you. It's just-"

"Whatever." Danielle says, closing her locker and walking away, hiding her hurt from the world.

"-your threads." Puck finishes.

_Damn it_, he thinks and walks away, slamming his fist into a locker half-heartedly as he leaves.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter Three

_I do not own glee. Songs are "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup and "I'm Not that Girl" from Wicked ._

**1:3 A Proposition**

Scene 1- Choir Room

The weeks dragged on and on. Sectionals, and all the drama that came with it, came and went with little importance to Danielle. Her life was thinly stretched between schoolwork, her job at the mall, glee club and her job at the club. Life for her was busy, but not very exciting. That doesn't mean she didn't have any problems, though.

Danielle was always watching her step. Her schoolwork always had to be her best; it was the only way she would be able to get into college and out of this town. She wasn't a brainiac though, and wouldn't get a full scholarship; she needed money. Most of what she earned went to the house. Her father was a deadbeat and her mother and older sister left her years ago. That left it up to Danielle to keep everything running. With her dad's meager and irregular earnings and Danielle's job at the mall, they might have been able to get by. But for Danielle to be able to go to a college far away from Lima, she'd need more money. Hence, the dancing job…which seemed to cause more problems than it solved.

Danielle was also always careful about keeping her out-of-school life out of everyone's minds. Even now, as she was getting closer to Mercedes, Kurt and Tina, she was constantly checking herself. She could _not_ afford for anyone to find out about her; there was too much at stake. And on top of all of that, there was the minor detail that Noah Puckerman, the kid who beat up his _best friend_ for no good reason, knew her secret.

Puck had no loyalty to Danielle and there wouldn't be anything stopping him from selling her out the minute someone asked. For some absurd reason, he had wanted Danielle in Glee club and she went with it, thinking he just wanted to sleep with her (not that she was gonna let him, of course. She was a dancer, not a hooker) but as soon as she joined, he totally broke off contact with her. Sure she'd catch him glancing at her every once in a while (she was glancing at him a bit as well), but then again he seemed to have eyes for almost every female in the school.

In the time since she joined the club, Puck has dated Rachel (_ugh_. Just-fuckin'-_ugh_) and slept multiple times with Santana (who brags about it every chance she gets). And there was definitely something going on between him and Quinn, which isn't surprising because did turn out to be her baby daddy. Puck obviously cared about Quinn, but she didn't seem to want to give him a chance.

_Whatever_, Danielle tells herself. _It doesn't matter. Why would you waste your time thinking about a guy that so obviously doesn't care about you?_

So, she tries to ignore Puck's gazes and trudges on, trying not to drive herself insane with worry.

She's actually kind of…grateful for Glee club. Besides the fact that it takes up valuable time, _and_ that it's filled with way too much drama, _and_ that Danielle hates a third of the people in there, _and_ the fact that Mr. Schue's choreography still hasn't improved, Danielle likes it there. It's really chill if you don't stress over the drama and stupid people.

Also, for the first time in a while, Danielle has people in her life that she can almost call friends. Kurt and Mercedes are her favorites, but Tina is pretty cool too. All of them make her feel more comfortable with herself, which she appreciates, even if they don't realize it. Although, Danielle's lack of owning a cell phone does kind of hinder their friendship.

But, what surprised Danielle the most was how great singing the songs she wanted to sing made her feel. When she sings at 'Strokers', there is a very limited song selection. Most of the songs are pop or old school Burlesque-like tunes. Danielle is really more of a pop-punk/dance music kind of girl. But she wasn't like Rachel, Mercedes or Kurt, who clamored for a chance to sing all the time. Danielle hadn't even sung outside of the ensemble numbers until the whole "yearbook" issue from a couple of weeks ago…

…

Nobody in their right mind would want to be in the yearbook photo with the Glee club…which is probably why Rachel (who was obviously crazy) was hell bent on starring in it.

"It looks like everyone voted for Rachel to be in the picture, including Rachel." Mr. Schue tells the Glee kids, sounding a little exasperated. "But we still need another person."

"We are perfectly fine with just having Rachel." Quinn argues.

"We'd prefer it actually." Kurt puts in.

"Come on, you guys." Rachel whines, immediately ticking Danielle off. "I mean, don't you want a record of your time in high school and Glee club? You only go through it once…well except maybe Noah."

_Bitch_. Danielle thinks venomously.

"Besides, in ten years, a picture with _moi_ could really be worth something. Once I'm famous of course."

"Okay." Danielle says, leaning over Tina to glare at Rachel. "First of all, stop whining before I come over there and punch you in the throat, effectively ending your glorious musical career." Rachel eyes her warily and subconsciously lifts one hand to delicately clutch her neck. The Glee clubbers raised their brows. It wasn't unusual for Danielle to make a snide comment to Rachel, but she had had never threatened her before.

"Second, nobody really _cares_ about high school. Hate to break it to ya honey, but the real world is just as crappy as it is here. People will always talk about you and judge you, you'll always feel over-worked and stressed to the max, plus, you've got bills to pay-" Danielle cuts herself off. The Glee clubbers are shifting uncomfortably in their seats and some are eyeing her suspiciously. "A-anyway, none of that goes away just because you have a high school diploma." Danielle leans back in her chair, wanting desperately to hide her face and take back what she just revealed about herself.

Rachel frowns, a little flummoxed. "Well…n-nobody asked you anyway. You know, I really don't understand why you're still in this club, Danielle. You don't do anything! Your audition was decent, I'll admit, but the fact is you haven't shown any hint of talent since."

Danielle raises her brow, thinking back. It was true that she hasn't sung much, but her dancing was always impeccable. Apparently, Rachel only measures talent on her personal scale.

_Well…I guess I'll just have to get my name back on that scale._ She thinks to herself.

She stands up and walked over to the band, telling them what she'd need them to do like she's seen Rachel and Finn do so many times before. They seemed to know every song out there.

"Danielle…?" Mr. Schue asks.

"I've got something to get off my chest…if that's okay?"

Mr. Schue looks just as surprised as the rest of the Glee club. "Uh…sure, I guess."

She nods and stands right in front of club, carefully avoiding the area designated as "center stage".

Danielle takes a breath, and then nods to the band to start.

She jerks her hips in time with opening notes, letting it all fly.

_HEY!_

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh!_

Some of the glee clubbers immediately catch on and started singing with her. Kurt and Mercedes look at each other, seem to come to an agreement, then jump up, providing back-up for Danielle.

_HEY!_

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh_

_HEY!_

Now it's Danielle's turn.

_Four years you think for sure, that's all you've got to endure_

_All the total dicks,_ (she ruffles Puck's mo-hawk, and he glowers at her good-naturedly)

_all the stuck-up chicks_ (she points at Rachel, who, predictably, frowns)

_So superficial, so immature_

_Then when you graduate, ya take a look around and you say "Hey Wait!"_

_This is the same as where I just came from; I thought it was over,_

_Aw, that's just great._

_The whole damn world is just as obsessed,_

_with who's the best dressed and who's having sex_

_who's got the money, who gets the honeys_

_who's kinda cute and who's just a mess_

_And you still don't have the right look_

(Kurt and Mercedes harmonize with her)

_And you don't have the right friends_

_Nothing changes but the faces, the names, and the trends…_

_High school never ends_

Now, most of the kids are jamming out and having fun.

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh_

_HEY!_

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh_

_HEY!_

Danielle continues jumping around the group, weaving between chairs to her targets.

_Oh, high school never ends!_

During the guitar solo, Danielle grabs both Mike and Matt to get up and dance with her. Soon, almost everyone was up, smiling and having fun. Something that Rachel would never had allowed them to do when she was singing.

For the grand finale, Danielle goes to the top of the rows of chairs and grabs one, putting the back of it on the ground. Then, she jumps on it and slides down the rows while everyone watches with wide, excited eyes and gleeful smiles. When she reaches the bottom, she jumps off and resumes dancing.

_The whole damn world is just as obsessed,_

_with who's the best dressed and who's having sex_

_who's got the money, who gets the honeys_

_who's kinda cute and who's just a mess_

_And I still don't have the right look_

(Danielle grabs Mercedes, Kurt and Tina together)

_And I still have the same 3 friends_

_And I'm pretty much the same as I was back then..._

_High school never ends_

The room is going completely nuts now; all the kids (except Rachel) are dancing and singing, with Danielle bellowing the main line.

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh_

_High school never ends!_

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh_

_High school never ends_

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh_

_Here we go again,_

_Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh, Oh Oh Oh-Oh!_

Danielle closes her eyes, breathing hard, and soaking in the laughter and pure adrenaline that radiated from that moment.

"Okay, okay, settle down guys. Whoa!" Mr. Schue looks tired just from watching them. "That was great, Danielle. Just…try to be careful with the furniture please." He said, eyeing the chair that Danielle discarded. Danielle just nods to him and turns to face Rachel, who watched the performance with a speculative eye.

"Well?" Danielle asks, quirking a brow.

"It was...pretty good." Rachel admits, though Danielle knows it pained her to say it. "Different, definitely." She continues, eyeing the crowd still in the center of the room. They were still chatting and laughing, though some of them silently watched the exchange between the two girls.

"I just think that the whole point of this club should be for us to sing relevant songs together." Danielle tells Rachel truthfully, "Not to listen to a few people sing tissue-inducing ballads every other day." She lowers her voice. "No offence, but they kinda make me want to rip my hair out."

Rachel just rolls her eyes. "They're supposed to help improve your vocal skills." Rachel explains. "Plus, they kinda help me keep my emotions in check." she admits.

"Whatever." Danielle replies and takes a seat, letting Mr. Schue continue with his lesson.

…

So maybe Danielle still didn't understand why Rachel needed her songs to be _heard_ when she sang, but she did understand the therapeutic power of music. Every day, Danielle would skip the most of lunch to go to the choir room and just mess around. Sometimes she'd sing, sometimes fiddle on the piano, but mostly, she liked strumming on the guitars.

She'd never learned to play guitar officially, but in middle school all the kids were required to take a music class that taught them the basics of guitar and piano. Danielle had always wanted to learn guitar for real. She watches the way the band gets lost in their music and envies them. Singing makes you face of your problems head on, but dancing and playing instruments helps you forget them for a little while.

One afternoon, Danielle is just screwin' around, strumming a guitar listlessly when the doorknob twitches. Danielle jumps. She always makes sure to lock the door when she was in the choir room, not wanting anyone to hear her or try anything funny. She stood and went to the door and when she sees who it is, she immediately opens it for him.

"Sup, babe?" Puck asks, waltzing through the doorway. He doesn't seem at all surprised to see her there.

Danielle turns from the door and follows him. "Watch it, Puckerman." She pauses for a beat. "Nothing much. I was just…"

Puck eyes the guitar that Danielle had set on the chair.

"I didn't know you played." he says, his eyes shining.

"I don't. I was just messin' around." Danielle corrects him and sits down, putting the guitar in her lap again and strums a little. "I kinda wanted to learn, but lessons are too damn expensive. And you and I both know I don't have the time or the money."

Puck just smiles. "You don't really need lessons. I mean, I taught myself and I'm pretty decent."

"Yeah, you seem like you know what you're doing." Danielle says, remembering his past performances.

"Oh, I definitely know what I'm doing." Puck mumbles, lowering his voice and waggling his brows.

She laughs. It was much easier for her to be around Puck when he was like this. All flirty and…weird. It was just so goofy. It was definitely easier for her to ignore the…things she (mighta, sorta, kinda, maybe) felt for him when he was actually trying to flirt with her.

So much for his woo-ing skills.

"Believe me, I've heard all about you and your particular strengths." Puck grins wickedly at Danielle's words and she flushes, mentally correcting herself. She couldn't flirt back, that wasn't allowed. "I mean...everyone's heard about it now with this whole thing with Quinn."

_Uh-oh he flinched. Change the subject._

"So…could you teach me?" she asks, quickly.

Puck looks shocked. "What?"

"Guitar, you horndog. Could you teach me something?"

Puck recovers and grins at her. "Sure." he says. Then he mutters under his breath, "I can't believe you just called me a horndog." Puck re-positions himself so he's closer to her and starts instructing her on what to do.

They sit there for awhile. Danielle is terrible. She can't understand what he is trying to tell her (she doesn't know all the proper terminology and musicians lingo) and quickly gets a frustrated with herself. Eventually, Puck gives up on her too and his arm finds its way around Danielle's shoulders to help her position her fingers on the frets. At first, Danielle stiffens under his arm, but she slowly relaxes and even finds it…nice. Almost comforting.

After a few more minutes of this, he pronounces her hopeless and just reaches around her, moving her hands out of the way and strumming the guitar expertly. Danielle laughs and wiggles out of Puck's embrace, sitting across from him instead of in his arms.

Boundaries were a must in Danielle's life. And Puck needed some too, to be honest. He was having a baby, after all.

Danielle didn't feel uncomfortable with Puck and Quinn's situation like she knew some of the other Glee clubbers did. When she found out, of course, she felt an irrational feeling of betrayal and anger. Not towards Quinn, of course, though it was terrible that she lied to Finn. That poor boy. She was glad that Finn was out of the triangle; he was not ready for the commitment that Quinn wanted from him and the stress had obviously been eating away at him for months. Now he was free. Pissed off definitely, but free. Puck is tougher than he is; he can handle his own problems.

"So…I've been meaning to ask you something." Puck said, pulling Danielle out of her reverie. He had finished playing and was putting the guitar down next to him. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "And please don't get mad at me again."

Danielle gestures for him to continue, promising nothing.

"Why do you…hide yourself at school?" Puck asks. The question surprises her. "I mean, you're really great performer, but you like hardly ever sing and you never dance like you did at the club…you know in that intense way, not the sexy way." he clarifies when he saw Danielle's eyes narrow. "And you're totally hot. But you don't show-off when you're here. It's no wonder I didn't even know you existed until I saw you at 'Strokers'." He pauses, screwing up his face. "No, wait, that came out wrong-"

"No, that's exactly right, actually." Danielle says bluntly. "I don't like calling attention to myself. Especially not in school." She pulls a hand through her hair. "I, uh…I just don't need people prying into my life." She slaps her hands on her thighs and looks at Puck again. "So I keep a low profile. Nobody thinks about me, nobody cares about me, nobody asks questions." She uncrosses her legs, and looks at the ground. "It's best that way…if nobody cares."

"Danielle…" Puck says, and the tone of his voice makes Danielle look up with a start. The look in his dark eyes steals her breath away for an instant. "I ca-"

"Puck."

Puck and Danielle both jump. They turn to see Quinn standing in the doorway, eyeing the two suspiciously, but not harshly. She doesn't seem upset about seeing them together, just surprised…and stressed. Quinn always looks stressed, though.

"Could you…come talk to me for a minute? It's kind of important." She says, determinedly not looking at Danielle.

"Sure." Puck replies, getting up and immediately seeming to forget Danielle's presence. Suppressing a sigh, Danielle stands up also, picking up the discarded guitar, and not looking after Puck as he leaves. She is about to put it back with the band's stuff when she feels a wave of warmth shoot up her arm. Danielle suppresses the urge to jerk her arm away and spins around to see Puck holding her hand. He says something, but it was lost to Danielle. It was the first skin to skin contact they'd had and it made her feel…

_Whatever_. Danielle thinks, trying to hold herself together. _I'm not his girl. Get it through your head._

"I said, 'I'll see you later'." Puck repeats, grinning at her knowingly. That jerk.

"Yeah, yeah." Danielle manages. "Now go see what she wants, nobody wants a moody Quinn in Glee club later."

Puck nods seriously, let's go of her hand and leaves. As if he hadn't felt anything.

_Because he didn't feel anything. You're nothing special to him._

Danielle sighs and puts the guitar back. Then, she sits down at the piano bench and looks at her hand like a star struck ten year old.

It wasn't like her to allow someone to touch her without practically ripping their arm out of their socket. Danielle…didn't like to be touched, to put it simply. By anyone, really. But especially men. Men were unsafe, they were stronger than her, and they would take advantage of her. All this she learned from experience.

Danielle shakes off her dark thoughts and stars walking aimlessly through the room. After a moment, she starts humming a melancholy tune that she heard once before on a bootleg video online.

Then, she starts to sing.

_Hands touch, eyes meet_

_Sudden silence, sudden heat_

_Hearts leap in a giddy whirl_

(She looks towards the door forlornly. She can still see Puck and Quinn across the hall, talking. He's smiling.)

_He could be that boy_

_But I'm not that girl…_

Suddenly, another voice, softer and higher-pitched, jumps in, making Danielle jump.

_Don't dream too far…_

Danielle spins around to see Kurt, who must have entered through the other door. He's also looking out the door, but his eyes are following Finn who is walking down the hall beside the couple, next to Rachel who is prattling on about something, but he keeps stealing glances at Quinn. Kurt turns back to Danielle.

_Don't lose sight of who you are_

_Don't remember that rush of joy_

Danielle realizes that he might be the only one who kind of understands how she feels. Hopeless, like a lost cause. She isn't threatened by him seeing her sing, either, he seems…more trustworthy than the others. Certainly the most sympathetic, judging from the way he looks at her now.

_He could be that boy_

_I'm not that girl…_

_Every so often we long to steal_

_To the land of what-might-have-been…_

Danielle takes over, trying to convince Kurt (and herself) to stop dreaming and focus on reality.

_But that doesn't soften the ache we feel_

_When reality sets back in…_

Kurt sings softly, staring at Quinn, who is still in the hall.

_Blithe smile, lithe limb_

_She who's winsome, she wins him…_

Danielle closes her eyes and walks across the room, stroking her wavy hair.

_Gold hair with gentle curl…_

_That's the girl he chose…_

_And heaven knows…_

They both sing now.

_I'm not that girl..._

Danielle, puts a hand on Kurt's shoulder.

_Don't wish, don't start_

_Wishing only wounds the heart…_

_(Kurt)_

_I wasn't born for the rose and pearl…_

_There's a girl I know_

(Danielle)

_He loves her so,_

(Both)

_I'm not…that girl…_

Kurt, a little teary-eyed, immediately runs and hugs Danielle after the song ends. She freezes.

_Oh, god, he's touching me! This is way more than hand-holding, this is- Oh, no. Wait. Okay, it's okay, he's your friend. It's not so bad. He's okay, he's so small and…safe. I feel…safe._

_But no connections. No getting close to people. You can't allow-_

_Oh, shut up_. Danielle tells herself, and for the first time in what felt like forever, she welcomes another person's embrace.

…

"So how did you know that song? You don't really strike me as a Broadway fanatic." Kurt asks Danielle about five minutes later. They were still in the choir room, sitting now. They decided to skip their next class, which was pretty major for the two very academic teens. They figured that they both had some explaining to do and Kurt was determined to get Danielle to open up.

"Well...after yours and Rachel's diva-off…" Kurt made a noise of understanding and nodded once. "I was curious. So I watched the play online while doing homework one day. It was pretty good." Danielle says. "I'd never seen a Broadway play before."

"Isn't it magical?" Kurt gushes. "Although technically 'Wicked' is a musical but, whatever."

"Yeah, it was pretty cool. Though the video quality sucked."

"Believe me, I know all about it. I've never seen a musical or play live on Broadway either. I can't even begin to imagine what it'd be like to experience shows like 'Wicked', 'Phantom', 'Evita', and 'Funny Girl' live…" Kurt murmurs.

He lost Danielle at "Phantom".

The two were silent for a minute or two, lost in their own thoughts.

"So…you have a thing for Finn, huh?" Danielle finally asks Kurt, a little apprehensively. She wasn't used to talking about this kind of stuff with someone else, but after what they just sang, she felt that she should.

Kurt looks away, pulling his knees up and resting his head on them. Danielle was surprised he could pull that off in such tight pants.

"I know what you're going to say." Kurt murmurs, sounding sad. "He's not on my team. He already likes Rachel…or Quinn or whoever. That I have no chance. That I'm a loser for even trying. Ect. Ect."

"Well, not the last one. And I was actually going to say that he doesn't really seem your type." She says awkwardly. "I mean, he's just so…"

"Straight?"

"Plain." Danielle decides. "I mean, don't get me wrong, he seems like a nice guy and all, and he isn't bad looking just…nothing extraordinary." She pauses, and then says quietly, "Not like you."

She and Kurt both flush a little at Danielle's compliment. He also mildly shocked.

"Yeah, well, I guess you don't see him like I do." Kurt replies. Danielle couldn't find an argument for that. "…So what about you?"

She stiffens.

"You seemed a little smitten with Puckerman…" he looks at her expectantly, as if waiting for her to start gushing about how good-looking or sexy Puck is.

"Well, we have a bit of history," Danielle starts, "-but nothing romantic or-or sexual, I swear." she says when Kurt raises his brows. "…He's the one that convinced me to join Glee club."

"How?" Kurt asks, piqued, but obviously trying to restrain himself from prying.

"I don't really want to talk about it." Danielle says uncomfortably and is grateful to see Kurt nod in understanding. "But, uh…but there isn't anything going on between us. You know, officially. We just talk sometimes."

"And flirt." Kurt says knowingly, his eyes brightening a little.

Danielle laughs. "Pick-up lines and innuendos make up about half of his vocabulary." she agrees.

They are quiet again for awhile.

"Ugh, who'd of thought that the two of us would like one of "those boys"? I guess the cliché football player-jock-appeal never really goes away, huh?" Danielle groans, making Kurt laugh.

"I could help you, you know." Kurt says after another moment, looking calmly at Danielle. "I could give you a complete makeover with your hair and clothes and make-up and-"

"And how much would that stuff cost?" Danielle interrupts. Then, cutting him off again before he can reply, she says, "Look, I'm really not trying to go after Puck or anything-"

"Well, it's not like you'd get very far with those clothes." Kurt says a little snidely.

Danielle looks at the ground, and bites her lower lip.

_God, it's like my clothes are the only thing people see. Seriously. Is this what I'm going to have to deal with the rest of my high school career? Possibly the rest of my life?_

She refuses to let that happen.

"It's not like I choose it." She hisses between her teeth. "If I could afford nice clothes, I'd have them." She turns to face Kurt, who looks remorseful at his words. "You don't think I wish that I could be the one that gets stared at when I walk down the hall, just _once_? You think I don't know that nobody, _especially_ guys, would ever give me a second thought, just because I look the way I do?"

Danielle shuts herself up and takes a moment to calm herself down.

Then, she tells Kurt in a quiet voice, "I know I kind of bring it on myself, being so quiet and…conservative," she looks down at her drab clothing, "but with my resources, I can either dress like this, or really trashy. So forgive me for not wanting to look like a stripper."

(The irony rings clear in Danielle's ears, _thank you very much_.)

Once again, there is silence as Kurt takes in Danielle's words.

"You know…I could still give you a makeover. And it wouldn't cost you a dime." He finally says, speaking softly.

"I don't want your charity, Kurt."

"Just because it's free doesn't mean it won't cost you."

Danielle makes a face at his remark. _Whoa. He is gay, right?_

"I tend to be an…aggressive shopper." Kurt says, elaborating on his statement. "I'm kind of… blunt when it comes to the way people look. You know, borderline… rude."

"Definitely rude." Danielle supplies, smirking a little, but still wondering what Kurt is trying to get at.

"Yeah, well, not many people can handle shopping with me." He eyes her appraisingly and for once she doesn't feel the anxious goose-bumps she usually gets when a guy looks at her. Unwillingly, she thaws a little more to Kurt's charm and how safe she feels with him. "So, really, you'd be doing me a favor. I love to give makeovers, and you're tough enough to handle my-"

"Insults?"

"I prefer to think of it as critical analysis, but essentially yes. See?" His eyes plead with her and he winds his arm around hers. "We can help each other."

Danielle thinks hard about his offer, and then lets out a long breath.

"So…what exactly does a 'complete makeover' entail?" she finally asks, making Kurt's face light up like a little kid's on Christmas morning.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter Four

_I do not own glee. Songs are "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters and "Man! I Feel Like a Woman" by Shania Twain._

**1:4 The Confidant**

Scene 1-Westerville Mall

"Hmm… I really like this one."

"Puh-leese. You can't be serious."

Danielle huffs. "What's wrong with it?" she says resignedly, turning to face Kurt instead of looking at him through the ridiculously huge store mirror.

"Well for starters, it's too bright. And we already went over why your natural hair color and complexion won't allow for bright colors…yet. Maybe after we fix your hair but for now-" he makes a cutting motion "-it's a no. Plus, it's a little too tight on your figure and that gives off the impression that you're trying too hard. You have the perfect body type for skinny jeans and loose fitting shirts. Not that anybody would ever know it with the outfits you're picking." He mutters the last part to himself.

Danielle pretends not to hear it.

The _only_ reason Kurt knew her body type is because he "accidentally" walked in on her in Victoria's Secret. Since then, Kurt's figured that their friendship was at the point where it was ok for him to see her practically naked and stumbled in on her more than once. After the fifth time, Danielle stopped caring.

"You have to be more…" Kurt starts, skimming through the racks of the store.

"Slutty?" Danielle says snarkily.

"Décolleté." Kurt compromises. Danielle had no idea what that meant. "Now try on that red shirt I picked out."

"Kurt, I seriously can't take any more short-sleeved shirts. I need more shirts that cover my arms. I…get cold easily."

This was probably the seventh store the two had visited and Kurt _still_ didn't show any consideration towards what Danielle needed, he just gave her what _he_ thought she needed. Shopping with him was hard; Danielle hadn't taken his warning seriously earlier. But, she had to admit, Kurt's ensembles had made her look…well, it was definitely an improvement.

"Fine, fine, fine." Kurt sang, and without missing a beat, threw three more shirts at her. "And I want to see every single one of them on you!" He calls after her.

"Of course, O, Fashion Guru."

Once in the stall, she sighs and sits on the tiny bench.

Danielle was _exhausted_. She and Kurt had already been in two shoe stores, a cosmetics store, an ear-piercing hut, a few accessories stores, about a _thousand_ clothing stores and 'Victoria's Secret'. Danielle had some reservations about going in there, having never been in a store like that before, but Kurt seemed to know his way around…which kind-of boggled Danielle when she really thought about it.

She'd come out of this little shopping spree with a whole new wardrobe, which included underwear, clothing, jewelry (which she hadn't owned since candy necklaces), a new pair of converse, a pair of fashionable boots, her ears pierced, and make-up.

Thinking about the cost of it all made her head hurt.

With a sigh, Danielle gets up and tries on the shirts, showing Kurt each one. He picks two; Danielle looked at the price tags and narrows it down to one. This was their system; Kurt picks what looks good and from that Danielle picks what is reasonable.

The two leave the store soon after, weighed down with the spoils, and Danielle begs Kurt for a food break. He agrees and they go to the food court where Danielle used her employee discount at the pretzel stand to get them both a snack. As they sit, munching on their food, Kurt tells Danielle about "Phase Two" of his makeover plan for her.

Danielle is sub-consciously twisting her new earrings while she listens to Kurt's ramble. At her insistence, Kurt let her get double piercings (both sets were little black studs) and one small black hoop in her left cartilage. She absolutely loves them.

"Okay, so you have the clothes, the shoes-by the way, I'm still _very_ impressed with the fact that you can walk in heels-and the makeup is purchased." Kurt tells her. "Now, for your hair…I'm thinking we can cut it and either curl it a little or straighten it a lot…though I'm partial towards the former cause it'll be less work and straight hair won't look as good with short hair. But, we definitely have to get some layers in there either way."

"Whatever's easiest?" Danielle says, savoring the taste of her pretzel.

"And then…oh! the make-up. You'll need help with that. I mean, your eyes are easily one of your best features and the proper eye-makeup and some…eyebrow tweezing…can make them totally 'pop!'."

Danielle tries to nod her head enthusiastically at Kurt's words. "Mhmm. Hair, make-up, eyebrows, got it."

Kurt looks at her speculatively. "….Well, your enthusiasm is lacking, but you do let me do whatever I want so…" he put his hand on hers, "I think you are officially my new shopping buddy."

Danielle straightens up and stops chewing for a moment, looking over Kurt's pale face.

It was funny. Earlier today, if she'd been in this position with Kurt, she would have been terrified. What with the contact, the shopping, the general closeness... Now, she was happy, excited even. The two had laughed, fought, talked and acted like goofballs all day.

Who knew that shopping could build such strong bonds?

She looks at Kurt affectionately. "Aw. Thanks Kurt." She leans in closer to him and whispers, mockingly, "But that doesn't mean you can call me every weekend to go out because I have a serious work schedule and I don't have the time to shop or learn about fashion."

"Fine, fine…" he says, and she sits back again."I'll just shop then come visit you." He gestures towards the pretzel stand.

"Umm… I have another job that I work Fridays nights and weekends. Just so you know."

Kurt shrugs, "I'll see you in school." And he continues babbling on about clothes and fashion and God-knows what else.

_School…great_. Danielle thinks sarcastically. School days were the only days Danielle didn't work extremely late so she could do all her homework and make up for sleep she lost during the weekend. After the shopping she did today, though, she figured she'd need to pick up a few extra shifts. Earlier, she and Kurt agreed that she would pay 60% of the bill and Kurt would pay 40%.

_40% _Danielle thinks_, that is not enough to cover for the torture he put her through._

Just kidding. She was actually very grateful towards Kurt for doing this.

"Hey, Kurt?" Danielle interrupts him mid-rant. He looks at her, slightly annoyed but curious.

"…Thanks, for everything."

Kurt freezes for a moment, then smiles widely at her. "Well…you're welcome. Actually, I should be thanking you. You've been very…accepting towards me ever since you got here. And not everyone is and…just thanks for that."

This makes Danielle's heart twinge. She knows that Kurt does not have an easy life either. His mother died when he was little, he's the only gay teen in his whole school, and gets bullied more because of it. Kurt is way too big for Lima and he'll get out one day, but it's extra hard for him right now.

Danielle grins warmly at him. "What're friends for?"

They smile at each other for a moment, and then Kurt picks right back up with his insistent babbling. Danielle takes another bite of her pretzel and closes her eyes, feeling calmer than she's felt in a long time.

…

Unfortunately, that peace of mind was quickly replaced with slight annoyance towards her new friend.

Danielle spent all week in school listening to Kurt's excited whisperings about his ideas for Phase Two, which would take place on Sunday at his house. Danielle promised herself that she'd start picking up extra shifts at work next week to make up for this makeover.

Weirdly, when Kurt wasn't gushing about his sinister plans, he was almost silent. Mercedes and Tina both agreed that Kurt wasn't his usual talkative self and Danielle also caught him staring at her a few times, focusing especially on her legs. It was kinda awkward. Kurt already confirmed that he was gay, so why all the staring?

_Well it's not like anyone else is staring at you._ She told herself. _Yet._

Danielle was forbidden by Kurt to wear any of her new clothes (shoes included) to school until the Monday after Phase Two.

"In order to have the full affect!" Kurt had insisted, giddily.

"Whatever you say, Kurt." Danielle groaned for the billionth time.

He wanted to her to keep "grand transformation" a keep a secret? Sure, no problem. Danielle was used to keeping secrets. She was, however, beginning to wonder if Kurt (a notorious gossiper) could keep her secrets...

Not that she considering telling him _everything_. Just…some things. Maybe. If the question arose…

…

On Friday, Danielle is making her way to the choir room for lunch, when she hears a familiar voice singing inside. Danielle pauses and then slowly opens the door, trying not to pull the boy's attention towards her movements.

_Breathe out_

_So I could breathe you in_

_Hold you in_

_And now_

_I know you've always been_

_Out of your head, out of my head I sang_

Puck is sitting with his back to the door, strumming furiously on his guitar and singing loud and clear. Totally unafraid.

Danielle steps into the room and closes the door quietly. Then, she moves against the wall, trying very hard not to be seen.

_He really is good. _Danielle marvels. His voice is full and rich and, occasionally, has a rough edge on it. Danielle loves it.

_And I wonder_

_When I sing along with you_

_If everything could ever feel this real forever_

_If anything could ever be this good again_

_The only thing I'll ever ask of you_

_You've got to promise not to stop when I say when_

_She sang_

Puck finishes the song with a strong chord. He sits there for a moment, and Danielle is about to announce her presence when Puck speaks first.

"I don't know what you heard, but this show ain't free." He says, looking over his shoulder at Danielle with a small grin.

Danielle puckers her lips, then strolls up beside him. "Well, whatever it costs," she teases, "my show is definitely more expensive. And exclusive." she adds.

"I only paid twenty-five bucks." Puck argues.

"Sure, on Fridays. On nights when I perform every hour, it's forty dollars per head." She flips her hair and looks down at the mohawked boy mockingly. "They love me there. I've even gotten a few drunken proposals. Bet your _cougars _never proposed to you."

"Nah, they're already married." Puck chuckles. He puts his guitar down as Danielle takes a seat.

"...You know," he starts, "nobody else here likes talking about them. The cougars I meet. They act like its tabooed." Puck turns and looks at her appraisingly."But you don't seem to care…" He trails off.

"Well," Danielle explains. "they're still stuck in high school. I've seen the big bad world and I know the type of things that are out there. A high schooler sleeping with a couple of old, horny women really isn't that scandalous."

"Yeah, I guess considering you work in a strip club you've seen and done worse things me." He's teasing her, but looks pleased with the idea.

"Seen, sure. But not done."

Puck snorts. "Yeah. Sure."

"I haven't not!" Danielle defends herself, but then starts laughing. "Okay maybe a few things. But-hey!-I was going through a rough time!"

"I think you're still going through a rough time." Puck says, rendering Danielle speechless. "I've been watching you lately." He continues, his voice softer than usual. His hazel eyes seem to stare through Danielle's protective armor and into her soul. "You've changed a little, but you're still the same insecure girl you were a few months ago."

Danielle ducks her head, embarrassed and doesn't know what to say. Puck reaches out to push a strand of hair out of her face and she immediately flinches away.

Puck grimaces. "Sorry, I forgot. You don't like to be touched."

"I-I don't mind…" she starts, not quite sure what she's saying. "when it's you...it's not so hard to control myself."

They are both stunned with her admission. Danielle is blushing furiously.

She clears her throat. "C'mon, let's play already. I've been itching to finish that song you taught me ever since Friday."

Puck laughs. "Getting a little eager there, are you Dani?"

"Ugh. I hate that stupid nickname." She grumbles, starting to play a few notes.

"But everyone calls you that. It's better than 'Danny Boy', right?"

She stops and bursts out a laugh. "Sounds the same to me. I'm not a boy; just like how Kurt isn't a girl."

"Okay, okay. How about a new nickname, then. Like…'Delly'?"

Danielle makes a face. "What?"

"Ann?" Puck tries.

"I don't think so."

"Jesus, woman, what do you want from me? How about…'Nell'?"

"Nell?"

"Yeah. Like 'Dan-nell', right?"

"Hmm…'Nell'." She makes a face. "Sounds kind of girly."

Puck smiles. "I thought that's what we were going for. Beings you hate 'Dani'."

"That's true." Danielle concedes. "Hm…Nell." She grins. "I might be able to get used to that...from you."

_Uh-oh, _Danielle freezes._ I slipped again._

But Puck just grins at her.

"Good…_Nell_."

Danielle sticks his tongue out at him and they start playing, both of them thinking about the implications of what Danielle said for the rest of the day.

Scene 2: Hummel Residence

Sunday is so unbelievably long. And not in a good way.

Danielle walks to the Hummel's and arrives at 12 o'clock. Much too early for her liking.

Burt Hummel let her in, looking at her almost pityingly. For moment, she thought Kurt had told him about her…dismal living conditions. She soon found out, however, that he just felt bad for her because she was Kurt's newest "victim". She had laughed at his joke but a few hours later that, was exactly how she felt.

After taking her to a boutique to have her eyebrows waxed, her nails perfectly manicured and painted, then finally getting a haircut, Kurt and Danielle returned to the Hummel's residence at four o'clock. Kurt had argued ruthlessly with the staff at the boutique, claiming that they were all so "unbelievably behind the times". However, he seemed happy enough with the results. Danielle couldn't make a decision yet; beings Kurt wouldn't let her near a mirror.

The only thing he had left to do was teach Danielle how to properly apply her make-up, (which took longer than necessary because she had to use an extremely small mirror). Kurt really focused on her eyes, giving her a small brush and trying to teach her "the proper technique for applying mascara".

No joke.

Putting a squealing pig in a dress would have been easier for Danielle than what Kurt was asking her to do. She learned how to put on make-up (the women at Storker's made sure of that), but the outcome was never something Danielle enjoyed. With bright colors smeared on her eyelids and bright red lipstick, she felt cheap. She just hoped Kurt had a different image in mind.

An hour and a half later, they were still at it. And as if that wasn't bad enough, Kurt was humming the tune to "Popular". All. Freaking. Day.

So, when Kurt got weirdly silent, Danielle was a little worried. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something. After about fifteen minutes Danielle asked him if he was alright. He told her that he was just concentrating and that she should be doing the same thing.

"But, Kurt, we've been at this for over an hour." Danielle argues, whining like a five-year-old.

"Oh, hush." Kurt snaps. "I'm almost done…This would have been a lot easier if you had an inkling of an idea of what you were doing." A pause. "Didn't your mother ever teach you how to at least put on mascara?"

Danielle bites her lip.

_Personal space, personal space_…she cautions herself. Normally in this situation, Danielle would immediately retreat or attack with accusations, but with Kurt she wasn't sure what she wanted to do yet.

"You don't have a mom either, do you?" Kurt murmurs after what Danielle realized was a few minutes. The brush freezes in his hand for a moment, then resumes, gently. "I'm sorry."

"Well..." Danielle starts, "I did at one point. Miracles like me don't just happen ya'know. Ouch!" Kurt had smacked Danielle over the head, making her newly cut and styled hair fluff out a little. He automatically smoothes it down.

"…You probably had her for less time than I did, then, if you can joke about it so easily." Kurt says, his voice monotonous. Danielle learned that he did that whenever he was trying to hide that he was upset.

Now Danielle feels like a big fat jerk. "I'm sorry, Kurt. My mom's…kinda a touchy subject for me."

"Do you miss her?" Kurt asks softly.

"No." Kurt looks stunned at Danielle's dark tone. She quickly tried to lighten her voice so she didn't worry him. "My mom walked out on us about six years ago. I haven't heard from her since she left." she blurts, sounding almost flippant. "I mean, her and my dad…they didn't have the best relationship." Danielle says, hearing echoes of the screaming wars from her childhood in her head. "So, she left."

"Oh…" Kurt was silent for awhile, working on her eyelashes.

_Wait…shit_. Danielle couldn't believe she just told him about her _mother_ of all things. She could talk about her job at the club if she had to, her fears and insecurities, sure, even her old drug problems, but her _mother_?

_What the _heck_just happened?_

"So…um. There's something I wanted to talk to you about." Kurt starts slowly, sounding very nervous. _Uh-oh. There's more._

"Mhmm?" Danielle tries to sound unconcerned.

"I-um, I noticed something…while we were shopping last week."

Danielle goes still as a statue and says nothing.

"You kinda had these…ugly bruises…"

_What? How could he-how did he-? I tried so hard to cover them up!_ Danielle is internally panicking. _The ones on my body were almost totally faded. The only bad ones were on-_

"on your thighs, mostly…"

_How did he find out?_ Danielle thinks in horror. _I always made sure I was covered when Kurt busted in…except-_

"…while we were in the lingerie store."

Except the first time in Victoria's Secret.

_Shit!_

_Well…that explains the weird staring and gloominess._ The coherent part of Danielle reasons.

On the outside, Danielle tries not to let her inner turmoil show. Kurt, however, wasn't looking at her face; he wasn't even looking in her direction.

"I'm…not going to ask about them. Because," he puts down the make-up and heaves a heavy sigh, "because I know what it's like to have a secret you _absolutely cannot_ let anyone else know about." He looks her in the eyes then. "I just want you to know that, if you ever need a place to stay, you can call me. I mean, we have a spare room here. Technically it's my dad's office but he never uses it."

Danielle is too stunned to speak.

There weren't any proper words that she could think of to express her…gratefulness towards this wonderful boy.

She wanted to hug him. She wanted him to hold her while she told him everything, everything!

_Whoa, there._

She quickly overrode that thought.

Her future was at stake. Her _life_. And she wasn't about to be a burden to Kurt or his dad. They probably had plenty of their own problems to deal with and didn't need hers.

But, something had definitely shifted in her relationship with Kurt. Danielle was worried about how to let Kurt in, but it appears that he just decided to blow down the door himself.

Before, Danielle was scared of people getting too attached to her and as a result never made any true friends. Now, she was determined to find a way to keep Kurt as close to her as possible.

So, in order to keep the delicate balance of this friendship in check, Danielle just nods her head, thanks Kurt and lets him resume doing her make-up.

"Aaaand…voila!" Kurt squeals a few minutes later, still a little melancholy sounding. Danielle is determined to wipe away that sorrow and was ready to fake a huge, enthusiastic response when she sees her reflection for the first time.

She freezes, staring at the pretty woman in the mirror. She had dark auburn hair, which was a little over shoulder length, that was styled in layers, accenting its natural waves. The hair framing her face, however, was pulled back exposing her perfectly-made-up visage. The woman had creamy, pale skin with lots of dark freckles. Her eyes were smoky black rimmed around dark green irises. The eyelashes weren't long, but there seemed to be a million of them, side-by-side. Her now-thin auburn eyebrows made even her shocked facial expression look…sexy. Was that even possible? Her lips, once thin and bitten, now looked darker, more delicate. Not plump, but beautiful in their own way. Just like the woman.

Danielle's jaw drops. The woman's does the same.

"Kurt." She chokes out.

The boy winces. "What is it? Is it the eyebrows? I know they're a bit dramatic-"

Danielle jumps up and hugs Kurt, burying her head in his bony shoulder.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Danielle practically squeals.

"You like it? You really like it! Hey!" he peels her off him. "Don't ruin your makeup!"

"Okay, okay, I'm just…" she catches a breath."Just, thank you, Kurt."

Kurt puts his hands up. "I didn't do anything but bring out your natural beauty with logical fashion sense. A girl who sings like the child of Rosario Dawson and P!nk should be able to look the part. Thank God (who whoever) for making you how you are."

"I don't believe in anything but your magical fashion powers." Danielle chuckles, though she isn't kidding.

Kurt beams at her. "I think we're going to get along great…when you're not ready to kill me, that is."

Danielle laughs. Then, "…So…who exactly is Rosario Dawson?"

Kurt's eyes go wide. "You don't know RENT?!"

Scene 3: WMHS

The next day, Danielle stands outside in the school parking lot next to her dad's junk 1994 Mazda. She isn't old enough to drive yet, but can occasionally sneak it around Lima. When her dad has it, she's forced to walk, take the bus or get a ride with a co-worker. But nobody around here really cares that she drives. It's a hick town, after all.

Danielle nervously bites on her newly-painted black nails and-_God_- she is _freezing_. She needed Kurt to show up _stat_. She feels ridicules standing outside the school with such tight pants on.

Danielle looks down at her legs. The black jeans hug her long legs like they depended on them for warmth. They practically feel like a second skin. Still, they are warmer than her ratty old jeans. She is also grateful for her new boots. Her old sneakers would not have stood a chance against this bitter cold.

Danielle blows out a breath onto her freezing hands and hugs her old sweatshirt closer to herself. Its a few sizes too big so it was almost to her knees but she's had it for years and it's really warm.

_Which is good,_ Danielle thinks, looking down the huge neck-hole of her jacket self-consciously, _'cause this shirt is way too light-weight for this kind of weather._

Suddenly, a pale hand swats her fingers away from her mouth, angrily.

"I paid for 40% of those nails and I'll be damned if I let you ruin them now." Kurt snaps.

_Geez, where'd he come from?_

Danielle turns to see his big SUV parked right behind her, making her car look like a tiny piece of junk in comparison.

_Oh._

"Sorry, sorry."Danielle tells Kurt as they start walking toward McKinley High together. "Just…just nervous."

"Don't be. You look fantastic!" he beams. "Just like Mimi."

"The stripper?!" Danielle and Kurt had watched the movie version of RENT Sunday evening after "Phase Two". Danielle had loved it even more than the bootleg she saw of _Wicked_.

"Yes! Wait. No, no, no, you're fine I promise." Kurt composes himself and takes a deep breath. "You know, for someone who's supposed to be all confident and outspoken you sure are self-conscious."

"I'm not worried about how I look. Just, what people see."

"Hmmm…you know, it's that kind of philosophical thinking that that will either get you far in life…or thrown in a dumpster."

Danielle gives Kurt a severe look. "They. Wouldn't. _Dare_. These are new clothes!"

Kurt grins at her as they reached the front doors of McKinley. "Welcome to my world." He mutters sarcastically.

Then, they were in.

"Commencing Phase Three." Kurt says seriously, making Danielle roll her eyes.

_All right,_ Danielle thinks to herself._So far so good. No stray glances yet…oop. There's one. Huh, and another. How weird._

"Okay, now, take off the jacket." Kurt mutters to her.

"Wait 'til I get to my locker." Danielle hisses. "It'd look weird if I just took it off while walking down the hall."

"Wimp." Kurt sniffs.

Danielle shoots him a glare, then unzips her jacket and peels it off, feeling very exposed.

Her shirt is army green and short sleeved. It is made of a very light and loose-fitting material and is long, (almost mid-thigh length) with had a wide collar that showed a lot of neck. It kind of disturbed Danielle every time the bottom of one of the shorter layers of her hair would brush her bare neck; she wasn't used to it quite yet. The shirt, coupled with the tight black jeans and a small black belt, looked fantastic on her. She also had all her earrings in and her make-up was perfect.

Kurt raises his brows at her dramatic unveiling but keeps walking after her.

Danielle knows she looks different, but she doesn't think that warrants all the stares she gets from everyone (boys _and_ girls) while they walk down the hallway. She tries to keep herself from blushing, however, and keeps walking, her chin high.

"Now strut." Kurt commands. "Come, on! Move those hips!"

"Oh, my God. Kurt, shut _up_!" Danielle hisses, teeth clenched.

Then he crosses the line.

She felt a small pinch on her lower back. "Stand up straight!" Kurt commands.

She spins her head around, eyes blazing. "Don't you ever-"

_Smack!_

Danielle squelches a yelp as she bowls into someone and quickly tries to regain her balance, concentrating on the strong hold on her wrist.

_Wait a sec-_

Danielle looks up to see Puck standing over her, holding her wrist firmly and grinning a bit.

_Of course. _Danielle thinks scathingly. _Of course, it's_ him.

"Watch it there, Moretti." Puck's grin grows when he sees Danielle's flush. Encouraged, he leans in closer and murmurs, "Or should I say Monica? You look more like her now than you did before." He winks at her. "Though bare legs beat tight jeans any day."

"Shhh!" Danielle scolds him.

"Well, my work is done." chirps an all-too-chipper voice and then Kurt was gone.

"Uhh…Kurt, wait!" Danielle starts to lunge after him, but Puck catches her around the waist and spins her back to face him.

"Whoa, hang on a sec there." Puck looks up and down at her. "So…what happened? I mean, I love it, but…"

Danielle huffs, then starts towards her locker. She can feel Puck following behind her. "But what?" she asks him over her shoulder "_I_ think it's great."

"Hey, it is great." Puck says. They arrive at her locker and she starts getting the stuff she needed for the day. "It's…really great." She looks up at him quizzically and he returns the gaze. She notices he stare wasn't as steady as usual.

_Hmm_…

"I'll see you in Glee club." Puck says suddenly, looking over his shoulder, and then leaves without another word.

Danielle releases a breath she didn't know she was holding.

_Okay,_ says a voice in Danielle's head that eerily similar to Kurt's, _Phase Three complete. Onto the final phase: Phase Four._

Scene 4: The Choir Room

Once again, Danielle finds herself standing outside of the choir room door, looking in, feeling like a stray dog.

She doesn't really know what to expect next. She knew nobody in her classes would comment on her new look; she never talked to them unless she had to. A few idiots had come up to her asking if "the new girl needed someone to show her around". She had ignored them. But the Glee kids? Their reactions would be totally unpredictable.

_Well…at least you can always count on Santana to say _something_bitchy._ Danielle thinks, and then grins.

She can do this.

Danielle pushes open the door and strolls into the room, acting like it was any other day. At first, nobody seems to notice her. She quietly takes her seat next to Kurt when suddenly another person suddenly drops into Mercedes' usual seat beside her.

"'Sup?" Puck says, nodding to her.

"Uh, nothing much." Danielle replies confusedly, remembering his hasty retreat earlier. She can feel several Glee clubbers gazes on her now, wondering, just like she is, what Puck is doing. Then, they notice her new look and their eyes widen.

"Cool." Puck replies calmly and then leans back in his seat and faces the front of the room, putting his arm over his eyes. Napping, like usual.

Danielle turns her head very slightly towards Kurt, whose lips are turned up the corners. He gives her a secret thumbs up.

"Oh my God, what _happened_ to you?" screeches a familiar voice from across the room. Quinn was staring at her, her mouth wide open, like she had just been told that aliens landed in New Mexico.

"What?" Danielle looks at her, pretending to be confused.

"What the fuck?" comes the real hateful hag. Santana.

"_What_? Is there something in my teeth?" Danielle can hear Kurt trying to stifle his laughter. "Oh. Oh-you mean the hair." She strokes her auburn waves. "Yeah, I got a haircut. Nice, huh?"

"Don't give me that crap, Dani. What's up with this get-up?" Santana says, gesturing from Danielle's feet to the top of her head. "Who did you sleep with to get the money? Or, I guess more importantly, who the hell _would_ sleep with you?"

Danielle stiffens, her calm facade cracking.

God she's never wanted to slap someone so much in her whole life-

"_What_? I'm not allowed to have nice clothing?" she snaps.

"It's just so…sudden." Tina explains quietly from her seat. She looks confused as well, but in a concerned way.

"Yeah, but you know what?" Puck, now awake, says, putting his arm around Danielle's shoulders. "She sure doesn't look like a 'Dani' anymore."

Danielle gently bumps his arm off of her shoulder while the other Glee clubbers stare at his display of affection with looks of horror. There was a long pause.

"Oh, so _that's_ it. You wanted to man down so you could steal my man." Santana screeches. "Well, back. The hell. Off."

"Oh, honey, you do not need a man." Mercedes says to Danielle in a quiet aside. "Especially not that one." She continues, gesturing to Puck who looks offended at the statement.

"Yeah," Artie chimes in. "You should be able to be comfortable in whatever you want to wear. If Puck really liked you he wouldn't care." Artie held Tina's hand as he spoke while Tina smiles affectionately at him.

_Barf._

"Wait…so…Puck and Quinn aren't dating?" Finn asks, confused.

Suddenly the whole room is abuzz with conversation, all involving Danielle. Feeling a little overwhelmed, she exchanges a wide-eyed look with Kurt, who shrugs.

"Alright, alright, enough!" Danielle shouts, making everyone looks at her. She tries to control her heavy breathing…and her temper.

"Okay, you know what? First of all, I did this for _me_." Danielle says, glaring at the Glee kids. "Secondly, there is nothing going on with me and Puck."

Puck opens his mouth, but Danielle stomps on his foot before he can say anything edgewise.

"Then why'd you buy the new clothes?" Rachel says, snobbily. As if that disproved everything Danielle had just said.

"Just...argh!" Danielle hisses. These people were driving her crazy. "Just maybe _I_ like looking like this; maybe it makes _me_ feel good!"

The Glee club sat in silence for a moment.

"So…I don't understand. Did the makeover make you feel more girly, or something?" Finn asked.

"Argh…" Danielle groans. Suddenly, she gets an idea. "Actually, you may be on to something Finn. Hold that thought."

She looks to Mr. Schue (who was watching the whole scene unfold, dejectedly holding his newest lesson plan) for permission. He nods his head unenthusiastically. _Another lesson of his compromised for the release of teenage angst. _Danielle thinks.

After quickly talking to the band she positions herself in the center of the room (for once).

_Da-na-na-na-na-nuh-na!_

The guitar rips through the room, and Danielle starts moving with the tune before singing.

_Let's go girls…_

Danielle is soon strutting around the room. Really strutting, just like she would be if she were at the club. She catches Puck's appreciative gaze and Kurt's approving smile. Everyone else still just looks shocked.

_Come on._

_I'm going out tonight-I'm feelin' alright_

Danielle is jerking and twisting and _moving_. She keeps the usual country twang from the original song out, and instead replaces it with her deep (supposeably sexy) voice she uses at the club. The music reflected this too. The band was asked to be more rock than country and the guitar, drums and bass took that to mean that they could go crazy. The room was practically shaking with the noise.

_Gonna let it all hang out_

_Wanna make some noise-really raise my voice_

_Yeah, I wanna scream and shout_

_The best thing about being a woman_

_Is the prerogative to have a little fun_

Now, Danielle stands in front of the whole club, letting them all see what she really looks like for the first time.

_Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady_

_Men's shirts-short skirts_

_Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style_

Danielle continues the song, dancing and smiling. Most of the Glee clubbers thaw out and laugh and clap at Danielle's antics. Now they all see just how well she could move…and how appealing she could be.

_Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction_

_Color my hair-do what I dare_

_Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel…_

_Man! I feel like a woman!_

Suddenly, the scene shifts and Danielle is in the club, moving through the routine with the other dancers and singing the same song. Nothing has changed except for the audience…and her outfit.

_The girls need a break-tonight we're gonna take_

_The chance to get out on the town_

_We don't need romance-we only wanna dance_

_We're gonna let our hair hang down…_

She is back in the Choir Room again, singing while the kids watch her excitedly. Puck was the only one that didn't look enthusiastic. Instead, his lips were curved up in an anticipating smile…

_The best thing about being a woman_

_Is the prerogative to have a little fun_

_Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction_

_Color my hair-do what I dare_

_Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel_

_Man! I feel like a woman!_

Danielle is back at the club again, and this time, she sees a familiar face in the crowd. Puck is there. In her ecstasy, Danielle doesn't even care. She just keeps on performing.

_The best thing about being a woman_

_Is the prerogative to have a little fun (fun, fun)_

_Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy-forget I'm a lady_

_Men's shirts-short skirts_

_Oh, oh, oh, really go wild-yeah, doin' it in style_

_Oh, oh, oh, get in the action-feel the attraction_

_Color my hair-do what I dare_

_Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free-yeah, to feel the way I feel_

_Man! I feel like a woman!_

Danielle finishes the song in the choir room.

_I get totally crazy_

_Can you feel it!_

_Come, come, come on baby_

_I feel like a woman!_

The Glee clubbers clap for her and she bows enthusiastically. Then she takes back her seat between Kurt and Puck. Kurt gives her a big smile while Puck spends the rest of class trying to get her to engage her in a game of footsie.

She feels it is a childish sport and kicks him in the shins instead, making him grin.

Scene 5: Stroker's Club

"What're you doing here?" Danielle asks Puck, concentrating on keeping her expression severe. It was Friday night and she just finished performing. She saw Puck in the crowd mid-song and decided it was time she arranged another heart-to-heart.

Danielle pulls Puck to the outer edge of the room, so they wouldn't have to scream at each other over the booming music.

He just grins at her evilly. It doesn't help her concentration. "Relax, Moretti. I was just wondering if you wanted to go get a burger or something."

Danielle's glare slides right off her face. "Are you serious?"

Puck shrugs. "Sure. I figured you probably didn't eat yet, because, knowing you, you've been working too hard to get yourself anything."

"Damn, Puckerman, have you been stalking me?"

His grin widens and he leans in closer, his free hand going on her shoulder. "If I was I would be a much better hider, don't you think?"

Danielle chuckles, looking at him warmly. Then her gaze turns sour. "I don't get off until two…"

"That's okay." Puck sits down at the table they were standing next to. "I'll wait right here for you and enjoy the show." He pauses. "We'll even drive separately to the joint. Even though you technically aren't supposed to be driving yet." His eyes sparkle mischievously.

"Actually," Danielle starts, "my dad has the car tonight. I had to hitchhike here."

Puck's gaze turns into something that looks almost like…concern. "In this weather, it's freezing," She shrugs and he shakes his head. "And I thought I had it bad. All's I got is my motorcycle."

Danielle perks up immediately. "Really?!" she says excitedly.

Puck raises his brows in surprise, and then gives her a smooth smile. "Yeah, it's kinda a babe magnet."

She immediately composes herself, blushing slightly. "Well…I've always wanted to ride one." She murmurs looking a little embarrassed.

"Tonight's your chance."

"Well…"

"Come on, Nell." Puck gazes at her unflinchingly, daring her to say yes. "It's time we ended this cat and mouse chase, don't you think?"

Danielle gives him a hard look. "If you're expecting anything other than dinner-"

"Fine, fine, no dessert tonight." Puck groans, disappointed, but not surprised.

Danielle looks out into the club, shaking her head and smirking.

_He really isn't bad. _She reminds herself, thinking of how Quinn never gave him a real chance_. He's good guy._

_A good guy with a motorcycle._

She returns her gaze to him and grins. "Okay, then."

"Okay?" Puck sits straight up like an excited four-year-old that has just been told he can have ice cream before dinner.

"Yeah, a burger actually sounds really good right now…" Danielle drifts off, practically drooling at the thought. "But, this is _not_ a date. And there will be no sex or making out, or any other shenanigans afterwards, got it?"

"Sure, whatever you say, babe."

"And stay away from the dancers. You'll end up with some kind of STD." Danielle snaps, noticing at his wandering eyes.

His hazel irises focus back on her. "Noted."

Danielle and Puck grin at each other, then Danielle walks away, returning to her job with lighter thoughts; images of Noah Puckerman, burgers and motorcycle rides floating around in her head.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter Five

_I do not own glee. Songs are "4 Minutes" by Madonna and "Trouble" by P!nk._

**1:5 A New Status**

Scene 1 WMHS hallway

_One, in, one out. Great. I'll be waiting here for hours…_

Danielle stands across the hall from the boy's bathroom in McKinley High School, trying to look confident when all she feels is nervous. She folds her arms over her chest shifts around in her pristine Cheerios uniform, watching the students walk by suspiciously. She just doesn't feel safe in it anymore. A boy walking down the hall winks and makes lewd gestures at her. He was admittedly cute, but vile. Two girls trailing right behind them glare at her and then whisper angrily to each other. Danielle ignores the boy but glares right back at the girls. She doesn't care what they think about her, as long as they don't know the truth.

She sighs to herself. A month ago, she was invisible in these halls. Now, her reputation has soared among the male population and therefore plummeted among the female population, effectively making her a target to these chemically unbalanced idiots.

The bell rings and Danielle shakes herself off, watching a familiar Mohawk enter the bathroom just as another boy exits. If her math was right, Puck would be alone in the bathroom now.

_This is crazy._

Danielle waits long enough for Puck to finish his business (hopefully), looks to make sure the hallway was deserted, and then walks towards the door, praying not to get caught in a super-awkward situation.

_How exactly did I end up here?_ She thinks miserably to herself as she pushes the bathroom door open.

Scene 2 (Two Weeks Prior) WMHS hallway

_If we took a holiday, took some time to celebrate_

_Just one day out of life, it would be, it would be so nice!_

Danielle feels like slamming her head against a locker. She, Kurt and Mercedes stand together in the hallway and the pale boy and sassy girl were gushing over the 'Queen of Pop' while Danielle contemplated leaving school for the next week. Sue Sylvester somehow got Principal Figgins to blast Madonna songs on the school speakers. And it was going to play All. Friggin'. Week.

Not that Danielle hates Madonna. She's not Danielle's favorite artist but Madonna's okay. Danielle could never tell Kurt that she thinks Madonna is just _ok, _though. Kurt loves Madonna. Like, _loves_ her. He and Mercedes opted to do a music video for their Glee assignment that week (Mr. Schue, the brilliant man, also decided to do Madonna numbers. Isn't he creative?).

"At least it's modern music." Kurt had said, not really caring about the originality of the assignment, just the glamour of it.

Anyway, Danielle decides to join them in making the video, hoping to get to do her own dance number. She's concentrating hard on possible dance moves, trying to block out the noise around her, when she notices that Mercedes and Kurt had stopped talking. Danielle looks out into the middle of the hallway to see Mr. Schue and Coach Sylvester arguing.

"Madonna belongs to me and I will not be copied! It's in my contract." Coach Sylvester yells, getting up in Mr. Schue's face. "You can have Barbara's, and your Chers, and your Christina's and-wow-I just lost my train of thought. You have so much margarine in your hair…"

"We're using Madonna, Sue! She's public property and there isn't anything you can do about it! Oh, by the way, how's the Florence Henderson look working out for you?" Mr. Schue quips back, and then starts to walk away. "Oh, maybe you should try a new setting on your Flowbee. Oh, snap!" he says, happily, actually snapping his fingers before practically skipping down the hall.

While Danielle shakes her head, embarrassed by his display, Coach Sylvester just stands there, looking…crushed. Her mouth hung open and her eyes were wide with disbelief. It looks unnatural.

"Oh, my God." Mercedes says. "Did Mr. Schue just out-insult Coach Sylvester?"

Kurt nods mutely, his gaze still fixed on Coach Sylvester's frozen figure. Danielle stares too. She wishes she had a phone so she could take a picture.

Suddenly, Coach Sylvester snaps back to life and takes off down the hall, pushing kids around and screaming her head off.

"We have to do something." Kurt says; Mercedes and Danielle nod in agreement (though they aren't really sure what he means), all of their eyes were still staring after Coach Sylvester.

Scene 3: Coach Sylvester's Office

Later, the trio stands in the doorway of Coach Sylvester's office, each silently daring the other to say something.

"Coach Sylvester?" Kurt finally pipes up.

Coach Sylvester's head pops up and she immediately glares suspiciously at the students.

"We-um-we saw your face when Mr. Schue insulted your hair…" Coach Sylvester's glare intensifies. Kurt straightens under her gaze. "We thought we could help."

"Come in, kids." Coach Sylvester says, jerking her chin towards the chairs in front of her desk.

Danielle almost expects to get yelled at, but she lets them sit down.

She stares at them for a few moments, and then tells them a tissue-worthy story about a young Sue Sylvester, who lived alone with her handi-capped sister and whose parents were famous Nazi-hunters. She claimed that when 'True Blue', a Madonna album was released, the young Sue Sylvester and her sister bleached Sue's hair and irreplaceably damaged it. Apparently, Coach Sylvester has been insecure about it ever since and she was (get, this) _jealous_ about Mr. Schue's curly hair.

After Sue's story, Danielle is stunned into silence. This woman did not have an easy life.

_Is this what happens to people who never got to have a childhood? Who grew up too fast?_

_Was Danielle destined to become another Sue Sylvester?_

She really hopes not.

Kurt, meanwhile makes Coach Sylvester an offer to give her a new look through their Madonna project.

"I'm gay." He tells her. "Mercedes is black. We make culture. We can help you find a new look."

"What about 'Pippi' over there?" Sue says, jerking her chin at Danielle.

"I just follow them." Danielle replies and points her thumbs at Kurt and Mercedes, lamely.

Sue seems to consider the offer for a moment, and then leans back. "Interesting…"

…

Filming sucked.

It basically consisted of Danielle standing still for hours and hours while a bunch of male Cheerio's danced around Coach Sylvester, who stood center-stage in a medley of old-school Madonna outfits. Mercedes and Danielle posed together while Kurt got some solo shots but the video was really focused on the hot male dancers and Coach Sylvester.

Despite this, Kurt and Mercedes both considered the video to be a giant success and apparently so did Coach Sylvester.

…

The trio was once again sitting in Coach Sylvester's office watching Sue make one of her nasty smoothies. The stench of it makes Danielle's nose scrunch up.

"I'm very grateful for what you three did for me." Sue starts in her usual, callous way. "So, I've decided to offer you a chance to go from being bottom-feeders at this school to becoming those fish that hang out at the bottom of the ocean but don't eat the other fish's feces."

Mercedes and Danielle exchange grossed out looks.

"…what exactly are you offering?" Mercedes asks, confused.

"As you know, Aretha, my Cheerio's are the number one cheer squad in the nation. We go to Nationals in a few weeks and I want something to really push us over the edge. So I asked myself, 'Sue you already accomplished so much, what could you do that doesn't involve mild explosives or pools of man-eating sharks?' And then it hit me. Vocals."

Mercedes and Kurt both squirm excitedly in their seats. Danielle can't believe what she is hearing.

"With you three on my squad, we will be magnificent." Sue says it so determinedly the three teenagers immediately believe her.

But, there were other things to consider.

"We won't be your spies for the Glee club." Danielle deadpans, reminding Kurt and Mercedes of their other commitments.

"That's fine; I've already got Boobs McGee and Tweedle-Dumb covering that." Coach Sylvester replies, flippantly.

Kurt and Mercedes look at each other uncertainly.

The choice is clear to Danielle.

"Well, I'm in." she says. "As long as I get to dance. I'm not as big on vocals as these two." She says gesturing to Kurt and Mercedes.

"Very well. So…" Coach Sylvester leans in, eyes glinting at Mercedes and Kurt. "Are you two in?"

Scene 5: Choir Room

Later, Danielle, Mercedes and Kurt walk into Glee club together, with Kurt and Mercedes still looking very uncertain.

"Moretti!" Puck yells, standing in small circle with Mike and Matt, all three of them in ridicules positions. "Ninja! Come, on we'll start a new round."

Immediately, Matt and Mike lower their arms and prepare for the next game; Danielle always wanted to play 'ninja'. Mike had taught them the game about two weeks ago and Danielle and the three boys had played almost every day since.

Ever since her makeover, the boys in the Glee club were a little more inclusive towards Danielle. She hadn't lost touch with Mercedes or Kurt, obviously, but she did like the male attention. Brittany, Finn, Rachel and Quinn had remained distant and seemingly uncaring so Danielle didn't bother with them. Santana continued to try to make her life a living hell but it was obvious she was scrambling to find new things to call Danielle out on. Right now, she the theme seemed to be her freckles.

Meanwhile, her and Puck's lunchtime guitar lessons had continued, as well as their Friday night outings.

What can she say? She liked Puck and absolutely _loved_ his motorcycle.

"Not today, Puckerman." Danielle replies, shooting the other boys an apologetic look. She follows Mercedes and Kurt to their seats, and listens to their hushed whisperings.

"What're we going to do?" Mercedes says and Kurt shrugs in response, still looking shocked.

"You should do it. I mean, why not? It's not like you can't do both." Danielle says, knowing that they are both worried about their loyalty to Glee. She's been trying to convince Mercedes and Kurt to join with all her might, but if Cheerio's got in the way of Glee? She didn't stand a chance.

"I don't know. It just doesn't feel right." Mercedes replies.

"You can't tell me that you don't think that performing solos every week and being the star for once in your life 'doesn't feel right'." Kurt supplies, grinning at Mercedes who just smiles back.

"C'mon, Mercedes, I really don't want to do all of the vocals." Danielle whines jokingly, making Mercedes' smile widen.

"All, right, guys." Mr. Schue interrupting the buzz of talking around the room. He walks to the center of the room, looking a little nervous, but everyone's attention is on the tall, good-looking kid behind him.

"Jesse?" Rachel says in disbelief. Everyone's gazes shoot to her, each with matching expressions of horror. Was this Jesse- her not-boyfriend-St. James?

"This is Jesse St. James, as I'm sure you've figured out." Mr. Schue starts warily, waiting for the explosive reaction.

"What is he doing here? He's not joining, is he?" Mercedes immediately snaps, glaring daggers at Jesse.

_Aw, poor kid. _Danielle thinks, remembering her first time entering the hostile choir room.

Mr. Schue takes a deep breath. "Well…"

"What the hell, it's like now you're doing things just to hurt me!" Finn yells.

"I thought you all might be excited." Jesse says, in the same snobby tone as Rachel. _God_. "I'm a star, and God knows you guys need one. Well, besides Rachel." he amends.

Any sympathy Danielle had for him vanishes.

"We were already fighting for second leads and now that you've shown up I've lost all hope at getting a solo." Kurt was clearly annoyed.

"Yeah." Agrees Mercedes. "And y'all just trot me out at the end of every number so I can wail on the last note. How is that okay?"

"He's a spy, Mr. Schue." Santana jumps in.

_She would know._ Danielle thinks to herself.

But, Mr. Schue insists that Jesse's sudden transfer, _right before Regional's_, was above board. The kids continue insisting on the unfairness of the situation but Mr. Schue would not relent: Jesse was in the New Directions.

And that last move on his part is what made up Kurt and Mercedes' minds.

Scene 6: WMHS Gym

The gym was echoing with the voices of McKinley High Schools student. Most of them were complaining loudly about how hot it was in the room and were anxiously waiting for the Cheerio's performance.

But Danielle didn't feel hot at all. Well, not physically. The Cheerio's uniform was just as skimpy as she feared…but she did feel good in it.

Danielle, Kurt and Mercedes stand side-by-side on the sidelines of the gym with the rest of the Cheerios, their hearts beating out of their chests. Even Danielle was worried, and she was used to performing in front of huge crowds.

_Performing in front of your peers is way more terrifying, though._

Suddenly, the room was quieted. Principal Figgins gave a short, monotonous speech to the student body then turned to Coach Sylvester. Danielle's heart expands with a familiar feeling of adrenaline.

"5, 6, 7, 8!" she yelled into her megaphone.

Danielle only has time to gently squeeze Kurt's hand and give Mercedes a short nod before the band starts playing and the Cheerios start dancing.

Danielle takes off with them, knowing that Kurt and Mercedes were behind her. Sue wanted to put Danielle with the rest of the dancers while Kurt and Mercedes stand center-stage which suited Danielle just fine. Now, she wills herself to forget all about the stares of her peers and just danced.

It felt amazing. This choreography was so smooth, so fresh.

So much better than Mr. Schue's.

Then Kurt starts singing.

_Come on girl, I've been waiting for somebody to pick up my stroll…_

Mercedes takes up the tune, and Danielle rushes to her position.

_Well, don't waste time, give me a sign, tell me how you want to roll, how you want to roll…_

Now, it's Danielle's turn.

_I want somebody to speed it up for me then take it down slow, there's enough room for both…_

Mercedes sings again,

_Oh, I can handle that; you just gotta show me where it's at. Are you ready to go?_

Kurt, Mercedes and Daniele harmonized together,

_Are you ready to go?_

_If you want it, you already got it_

_If you thought it, it better be what you want_

Kurt,

_Time is waiting,_

Mercedes,

_we only got 4 minutes to save the world!_

Kurt,

_No hesitating,_

Danielle,

_grab a boy, grab a girl!_

Kurt,

_Time is waiting,_

Mercedes,

_we only got 4 minutes to save the world!_

Kurt,

_No hesitating,_

All three,

_we only got 4 minutes, 4 minutes_

Danielle drops back and resumes just dancing with the Cheerio's, letting Kurt and Mercedes have their moment.

Kurt and Mercedes,

_Don't be afraid, Madonna, uh_

_You gotta get in line, hop_

_Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock_

Then, Danielle jumped back in for the finale, and sings with Kurt and Mercedes.

_That's right, keep it up, keep it up_

_Don't be afraid, Madonna, uh_

_You gotta get 'em up, hop_

_Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock…_

The crowd roars so loud when the performance ends that it was almost deafening. Kurt, Mercedes and Danielle stand in middle of the room, taking in applause. Mercedes looks up at Kurt, looking stunned. Kurt is too busy gazing around the room, already looking like he owned the place.

Danielle also looks in the crowd. She feels so…_good_. She has never danced like that before. The moves were right in between 'exotic dancer' and 'gleek' and Danielle loved every second of it.

Mr. Schue, however, did not look pleased and was arguing with Coach Sylvester on the sidelines.

Danielle points the scene out to Kurt and Mercedes and immediately their grins drop. They don't need to say a word to each other. They all start towards their coaches, each feeling a little guilty, but resolute about their decision.

"You guys could have at least talked to me." Mr. Schue starts in immediately, abandoning Sue and coming towards the trio.

"Like you talked to us before not giving us a solo almost every week and letting that Jesse kid in, even though almost everyone didn't want him?" Mercedes says, sassily. Danielle approves. "I like being a Cheerio; I don't have to scream to be heard."

"Look," Danielle starts. "For the record, I don't care about the label, I just want to dance and no offence, but your choreography kinda sucks." Mr. Schue flinches. "I mean, it's just a little stiff and old fashioned." Danielle amends. "I need more hip-hop less jazz."

"We talked it over," Kurt interrupts. "and we love Glee but being in the Cheerios will give us more opportunities to shine. So we're doing both." And then the three of them flounce away.

…

It was funny, both Mercedes and Kurt got solos in the Glee Club's group Madonna number later that day. Mr. Schue even let Mike and Danielle write the choreography.

It didn't matter though; Mercedes, Kurt and Danielle had made up their minds. They were Cheerio's.

…

The next two weeks flew by. Mercedes and Kurt both had some growing pains in school with the transition from gleek to Cheerio, but Danielle's pains mostly took place in her head…from lack of sleep.

Cheerios practice was almost every day for _hours_. By the time practice was over Danielle had to rush to work without eating anything or getting any homework done. Her grades started suffering a little, but Danielle told herself she'd find a way to balance it eventually. At the moment, however, she is just plain tired and moody.

Another problem was the uniform. She, Kurt and Mercedes were required to wear the uniform to school every day and commanded not to soil them in any way or there would be hell to pay. Kurt, ever the fashionista, was annoyed because he wouldn't be able to wear his own ensembles to school anymore. Mercedes was distraught; Coach Sylvester was making her to lose 10 pounds ASAP so she could fit in a normal skirt instead of her tracksuit. Danielle was worried because the uniform skirt showed more skin than she would have liked. There were days when she knew she'd have to find leggings to wear under it and she knew Coach Sylvester wouldn't be happy about that.

Danielle doesn't even go to lunch anymore. She feels bad for Mercedes and Kurt, who worry too much about what they eat and how to please Coach Sylvester, and it's a little depressing. On top of that, Danielle knows that Kurt is going through a lot of drama with Finn and his dad's relationship with Finn's mom. She listens to Kurt's problems and try to solve them, all the while trying to convince him that maybe Finn wasn't the guy for him. Danielle knows that if she said it outright, though, Kurt would no longer accept any of her advice. So, she treaded carefully and tried to be supportive. She's always there to listen to his problems and help him out…except at lunch. That's her time.

Danielle and Puck sit in the choir room for a half an hour almost every day. Slowly, she is learning how to play guitar from him and he is learning how to deal with her. It's a trial and error process and a slow one at that, but Puck is starting to think that he's getting somewhere with her.

Over the past few days, Danielle has slowly come to the conclusion that she likes Puck. Maybe not in the romantic way (though the thought of kissing him has crossed her mind more than once) but definitely more than she had originally expected. He seemed to like her too. After all, he still came (uninvited and unencouraged) to Stroker's every Friday night and took her to dinner. He always makes lewd jokes and suggestive comments but they're by no means 'dates'. Danielle doesn't even let him pay; they always split the check and then go their separate ways after. Danielle always manages to find a bus stop, not wanting him to take her home.

It seemed too good of an arrangement to last, but maybe that was just Danielle pessimism getting in the way.

Scene 7: WMHS

"Hey baby, what're you doing this Friday?"

The blond haired boy looks Danielle up and down, pausing at her legs and breasts before his icy gaze returned reluctantly to her face. The look made Danielle tense up and her breath caught in her throat. She knew that look. Knew what it meant.

But he was just a kid. A scrawny kid at that. She could handle him no doubt.

She relaxed. "Not you." she says forcefully and pushes the boy out from in front of her locker. Like all the others he was completely unknown to her and also like all the others, he was obviously a pig.

_Okay, what the hell is going on here?_

Danielle is starting to worry. Boys at McKinley have been flirting with her since her makeover, then even more when she joined the Cheerios. She wasn't going to lie, she had liked the attention at first, but now they were coming on stronger and acting…vulgar. Most of the guys that had come up to her before had been sweet, and relatively nice. Now they openly asked Danielle if she wanted to 'do the deed' in the locker room between second and third period.

Danielle had absolutely no idea what was going on until she got to Glee club.

Apparently, someone had posted a "Glist" throughout the school that ranked the kids in the Glee club based on their number of sexual exploits and their general 'hot-ness'. The whole scandal didn't surprise Danielle, what surprised her was the fact that she was number six on the list, right below Quinn, Santana, Puck, Brittany and Jesse.

"Alright who did this?" Mr. Schue says angrily, looking at each member of the Glee club. "This is serious; Principal Figgins is threatening to disband the club."

"Why are we playing this game? We all know it was Puck." Santana says flippantly.

"Back off I didn't do it." Puck mumbles defensively.

"Then why is your girlfriend first on the list." Tina sighs, obviously not believing him.

"I'm not his girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend."

Quinn and Puck had spoken in unison.

"And _why_ am I last? I mean, you're just mad that I didn't put out for you." Rachel says, pouting at Puck.

"Okay, hold on, nobody is accusing anyone of anything." Mr. Schue interrupts. Then, "…Puck seriously did you do it?"

"I said 'no'!" Puck sounds mad now. "I'm a delinquent, sure, I like setting stuff on fire and beating up people I don't know. I own that! But I'm not a liar."

Mr. Schue seems to accept this for now and tells the kids about how the club is getting a bad reputation. Then, he gives an assignment to find terrible songs that nobody likes and re-invent them. And then he raps "Ice, Ice Baby"…which is something he should never do.

It's a very strange day, but Danielle is too occupied with her own troubles to care.

_How could I even be on that list?_ she thinks, frantically. _Sure I dress a little…looser now, but_ _I never, ever was involved with anyone in school. Maybe someone saw me hanging around with Puck…_

And then Danielle freezes and her blood runs cold. _Puck._

One of her worst fears was coming to life. Puck must have blabbed about her job at the club. That was the only explanation. Why else would she be on that "Glist"? Even if Puck didn't publish it, he must have told the person that did write it about Danielle.

At first she is furious. She wants to take Puck and kick him in the gut so hard he would never be able to eat solid food again. Then she's hurt. Danielle thought she and Puck were kinda friends. Why would he just sell her out for no reason?

But, after awhile, Danielle cools down. She reasons that she had to at least talk to Puck before doing anything rash. Maybe she is wrong, maybe Puck hadn't had any part in this.

Danielle kinda hates how much she hopes that Puck wasn't just playing her.

Scene 8 WHMS hallway

So that's how Danielle ended up storming in the boy's bathroom during school hours in a Cheerio's uniform.

Funny how some things happen, isn't it?

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the-" the deep voice stopped short. "Danielle? What the hell are you doing in here?" Puck says, too shocked to even make an innuendo.

"I needed to talk to you. Somewhere where nobody could hear. As soon as possible." Danielle says, glaring at him briefly.

Thankfully, Danielle timed her entrance just right and Puck was just about to leave the bathroom. She swept her gaze through the foul-smelling room quickly, making sure there weren't any other occupants.

"Look, I get that chicks have needs too, and all, but I promise I can take you to a motel or somethin' after school…" Puck shuts up when Danielle gives him the full force of her glare.

"Who'd you tell?" she demands.

"What?" Puck says predictably.

"About Stroker's. Who'd you tell?'

"I didn't-"

"Oh, please. Cut the crap. I suddenly get a high rating on a list based off naughty deeds and I'm not supposed to be suspicious?"

"Wait, is this about that 'Glist'? Puck asks, then cuts off Danielle's response. "God, when is everyone gonna leave me alone? I didn't do it! And I didn't tell anyone about how you're a stripper!"

"Dancer." Danielle snaps, but Puck is on a rant now.

"I'm so sick of people judging me for a few mistakes I've made. They just think I'm a total deadbeat." He looks at Danielle, almost pleadingly. "I try to be a good guy. I go to school and I say 'Be cool, Puck. Be nice'. But second period I've got a fire-extinguisher in my hand and I'm spraying some dweeb with it and I don't know how I got there." He puts his hands over his eyes and sighs in frustration.

Danielle watches him. And for some reason, she believes him. At least the part about not telling about her job. The rest…

_Isn't important_. She thinks. _He kept your secret and that's all that matters now._

So, she backs off. There is a long pause.

"…I know what that's like." Danielle murmurs. Puck puts his arms down to look at her, but she keeps staring at the floor. "I may be involved in things I'm not proud of…" Danielle bites her lip and looks at Puck. "But that shouldn't label me as a slut."

"I don't think you're a slut." Puck says, his voice low.

"And I don't think you're a deadbeat." Danielle replies, truthfully. "I know about deadbeat dads, and you're not one."

Another moment passed.

"So, you're worried about why you're on that list, right?"

Danielle nods.

"Well, maybe it's because you performed a song about getting drunk at a club awhile ago at Glee, or the fact that before that, you sang about, like, rebellious high-schoolers." Puck tells her.

Danielle scrunches her nose. "Why would that put me on the 'Glist'?"

"Well," Puck starts, breaking the uneasy silence. "you kind of looked like a badass. Maybe that's why you're on the list. It never actually did say what the list was based on. Although, if that were true, I'd be number one."

Danielle nods. That makes sense…kinda.

"You know," Puck continues, "Some of the jocks are scared to mess with you, now." He grins at her. "So you probably don't have to worry about slushie attacks anymore."

Danielle gave him a small smile back and sways her hips a little, making her uniform skirt fly.

"Well, the uniform definitely has some benefits." She says as she starts towards the door.

Puck just stares after her and nods in agreement.

"Hey, Puck?" She looks back at him. "Thanks." And then she is out the door, leaving Puck in the bathroom, smirking to himself.

Scene 9: Choir Room

"I realize we've had a lot of stupid shit-sorry stuff-happen this week." Danielle starts her pre-song speech and already she could see three pairs of bored eyes wandering around the room. "But I think that I actually learned something for once…and I'd like to share that message with some of you. So…" Danielle cues the band. There is a whirring sound for a few seconds, then the music starts.

_No attorneys, to plead my case_

_No orbits to send me into outta space_

_And my fingers are bejeweled_

_With diamonds and gold, but that ain't gonna help me now_

Danielle takes off, dancing. She hears some cat-calls and surprised noises, but does not stop moving.

_I'm trouble_

_Yeah trouble now_

_I'm trouble ya'll_

_I disturb my town_

_I'm trouble_

_Yeah trouble now_

_I'm trouble ya'll_

_I got trouble in my town_

Now, Danielle moves up to the rows of chairs, meeting everyone's gaze. She isn't sure who printed the 'Glist', so she just sends her message to everyone.

_You think your right, but you were wrong_

_You tried to take me, but I knew all along_

_You can take me for a ride_

_I'm not a fool out, so you better run and hide_

When she reaches the end of the line, she grabs Tina's and Mercedes hands and pulls them up to dance with her. The girls join in on Danielle's vocals while Danielle rounds up Kurt, Artie and Brittany.

_If you see me coming_

_Down the street then_

_You know it's time to_

_Go (and you know it's time to go_

_'Cause here comes trouble)_

The group danced together during the guitar solo, but then the Glee clubbers took back their seats when the lyrics started again. Danielle takes a deep breath then continues.

_You think your right, but you were wrong_

_You tried to take me, but I knew all along_

_You can take me for a ride_

_I'm not a fool out, so you better run and hide_

Danielle's rough voice drew out the last word before jumping back into the chorus.

_I'm trouble_

_Yeah trouble now_

_I'm trouble ya'll_

_I disturb my town_

_I'm trouble_

_Yeah trouble now_

_I'm trouble ya'll_

_I got trouble in my town, yeah, yeah_

_I got trouble in my town, yeah, yeah_

_I got trouble in my town, yeah, yeah_

The room filled with the obligatory applause, then Santana's voice peeps up.

"So what exactly was the point of that?" the bitchy Cheerio asks.

Danielle grins at her, unruffled. "That other people are always going to interpret your actions in a bad way." Danielle gestures to the center of the room. "I didn't do anything in that song that should label me as a slut." she folds her arms. "I didn't do anything that qualified me as being so high on that stupid "Glist". And not that I really care about it, but I just thought you all should know, nothing I (or anyone else) does on this stage should leave this room."

Danielle's eyes flash to Puck for an instant. "And also, don't be afraid of your inner-badass-ness."

Scene 10 WMHS hallway

"I still can't believe that one Glee club dance number is what put me on that list." Danielle says, leaning against the lockers. "I mean, Puck's the only one besides you who knows about-"she lowers her voice, "-the club. And he didn't tell, and I know you would never rat me out. But still. One tiny dance number and a makeover and I went from 'not worth anyone's attention' to 'second-class whore'."

Danielle had told Kurt about her…promiscuous job, already. He was a little surprised by enjoyed the glamour of it all. He also said that he was a former exotic dancer,too. Apparently, his stage name was Ontario…Danielle knew that was a load of bull, but humored him.

"But at least you got on the 'Glist'" Kurt says snippily, looking in the mirror in his locker and fixing his already perfect hair. "Half of us weren't even worthy enough to be included."

"Well, better that than Rachel's negative five rating." Danielle sighs and she and Kurt grin at Rachel's misfortune.

"Maybe, you got on because people can sense a change in you." Kurt says, hairspray-ing his hair flat. "I mean…you do seem a little different. Lighter."

Danielle just nods her head evasively. Suddenly, she spots a familiar letterman jacket coming up behind Kurt…and it was carrying a green slushie.

_No way,_ she thinks, _We're Cheerios now. They wouldn't dare…_

But then she remembers Finn and Quinn's unfortunate slushie-ing a few months back, when _they_ were still popular. Danielle locks eyes with the wielder, David Karofsky, and somehow she knows that she and Kurt are the targets of that slushie.

In that instant, Danielle has two thoughts.

The first was to protect Kurt. The second was that Coach Sylvester would kill her if she got the uniform soiled.

When Karofsky was right behind Kurt, Danielle swiftly leans around the small boy and hits the slushie out of the football player's hand. She heard Kurt gasp and Karofsky yells as the green ice lands all over the bully.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Karofsky yells, covered in green ice. "That was meant for Lady Hummel!" Danielle feels all the movement in the hallway stop and she knows that everyone was watching the scene unfold.

"I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine." Danielle practically snarls back at him. Then, she does something that later, she recognizes as a bad idea. She moves around the shocked Kurt and gets in Karofsky's face. "Listen, you picked the wrong people to slushie. I'm not an idiot and I will always be ready to throw that ice right back in your face. _You will never get us_." Danielle knows that bullies like Karofsky would only see this as a challenge, but she doesn't care.

"You're gonna regret this." Karofsky growls, then swears as he storms away. The small crowd departs with him, all talking excitedly.

Danielle, chest heaving, stands with Kurt who looks at her with wide eyes.

"Well, you know you just made things a hundred times worse for yourself." He tells her, breathlessly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Whatever." Danielle says, then laughs and loops her arm through Kurt's. "Let them come for me. I'll be ready."

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	6. Chapter Six

_I do not own glee. Song is"Broken" by Seether feat. Amy Lee. _

**1:6 Blue Slushie and Swollen Lips**

Scene 1 WMHS hallway

Noah Puckerman opened the front doors to McKinley High School and walked inside, meeting the glances of every unfortunate soul in the main hall. He didn't feel different. Sure his head felt colder, but other than that he was the same Noah Puckerman he'd been a day ago. Right?

_Right_. He tells himself firmly

So why was everyone in the school staring at him like he was some kind of exotic creature? Was that-wait a second, did that kid just look him in the eyes?

Suddenly, even though nobody has approached him, Puck is overwhelmed. He can hear all their whisperings, feel all their stares and-though he'd never admit it-he is terrified.

His mohawk is gone, shaved off thanks to his overbearing mom and a quack doctor. Has Puck's power at this school disappeared with it?

The scary thing is that he isn't sure how to answer that question.

He hurriedly walks through the crowded hallway of McKinley High School and into the choir room. Immediately, Mike, Matt and Danielle drop their ninja pose and stare open-mouthed at him. The rest of the kids are standing around the piano, their eyes bugging out of their sockets. He hears Brittany ask Santana who 'the new kid' is. Puck just keeps his eyes downcast and continues walking like nothing is wrong, not being able to bring himself to look at their faces.

He feels like a whipped dog.

Puck takes a seat and remains silent. Thankfully, nobody says anything and Mr. Schue immediately begins rehearsal. Puck actually makes an effort to participate today, hoping to lose himself in the music and dance moves, and he does for awhile, but all too soon the bell rings and he must continue through the rest of the school day.

Before he leaves, Puck feels a familiar squeeze on his arm and stays behind, already knowing who the person was and what they wanted.

Once everyone has left the room, Santana gestures for him to sit down. Not really caring about ditching a few classes, he takes a seat in the corner of the room.

"Okay, Puckerman, what happened?" Santana says, sitting down beside him. Puck knows exactly what she is referring to.

He tells her about how his mom found a mole on his head and freaked out. She took him to the dermatologist, who had to shave off Puck's mohawk to get a better look at the mark. He said he had to make sure it wasn't cancerous or something.

"It was nothing. They maimed me over a freakin' freckle. I feel like the guy who lost all of his hair then lost all of his strength." Puck finishes, miserable.

"Ok, I don't know if it's the lack of Mohawk or the whining, but I am _so_ not turned on by you right now." Santana replies mercilessly then saunters out of the room.

Puck puts his head in his hands and sits hunched over in the choir room all the way until lunch. He leaves then, and doesn't return, not feeling like facing Danielle too. He has no doubt in his mind that she wouldn't want to talk to him anyway; he was a loser now, after all, and she was a Cheerio. Just like Santana.

Scene 2 WMHS Parking Lot

As if things couldn't get any worse, Puck is being followed by nerds.

He walks away from McKinley after school, avoiding bus lines and the crowded parking lot. But he can't shake the feeling that he is still being watched. Then, he sees that Jewish dweeb, Jacob Ben Israel, looming in front of him with his group of nerds. It's only then that Puck notices that he was being followed by at least seven other nerds.

They have him cornered.

_All right, then._

"You got a problem?" Puck asks tiredly

"Clearly you haven't been reading my blog" Jacob says nasally. "We've been talking about your hair-cut all day. You're like a toddler with a loose lid on his sippy cup: no juice." Jacob gets up in Puck's face. His breath smells terrible. "Get ready for payback, Puckerman."

_Oh, hell._ What was the point in fighting?

"All, right." Puck says and then closes his eyes so he doesn't have to see what's going to happen to him. Puck expects to feel a few wimpy punches and a lot of shin-kicks. Instead, the nerds lift him up and throw him in the nearby dumpster.

It's unexpected, but Puck isn't surprised. He's done the same thing to them often enough.

_I'm human garbage._ He thinks to himself when the nerds leave. He doesn't even attempt to get out of the trash bin._I should just lie here until the truck comes and crushes me to death. What's the point of living when my rep sucks so bad? How could this happen to me? _Me_?_

Puck sits for awhile, and then hears something peculiar. Singing?

He peeks over side of dumpster and sees crowd of Cheerios swaying next to Mercedes, who is singing. She appears to be leading the group, and they attract the attention many other students close by. People smile at the group and even go as far as to whistle at them.

_Wait a second,_ Puck thinks. _that black chick from Glee club used to _really_suck and now she's all kinds of popular. If she can climb up to the top then I certainly can._

Puck leans out of the dumpster now, the wheels in his head turning rapidly.

_But I can't become a Cheerio, that's too gay. _His gaze settles on a familiar auburn-haired girl who is walking to her beat-up old car. She is also in a Cheerios uniform. _I just have to date one._

Puck thinks back to what Rachel told him at her house last week.

_"The fact is that being with me actually improved your reputation." She had said. "It gave you a sense of humanity."_

_Well, then Danielle would be the perfect girlfriend._ Puck thinks to himself, _She's exactly what I need to get back on top._

He'd been taking his and Danielle's relationship too lightly for too long. They'd flirt and he'd try to convince her that she wanted him, but she'd always just laugh at his attempts. Puck certainly wasn't used to that. If Danielle really wanted to be with him, she hadn't let it show. So Puck didn't really put a lot of effort into wooing her.

But now it was time to kick it up a notch. Within the past few months, Danielle went from being a nobody to becoming a hot Cheerio. And, on top of that, ever since the slushie show-down with Karofsky, everyone thought she was a badass.

_Which is perfect for me. _Puck thought as he pulled himself out of the dumpster. _Get ready Moretti, the Puckster is about to make you his._

Scene 3: WMHS hallway

Danielle is standing by her locker feeling very uncomfortable.

For one thing, Coach Sylvester had banned her from wearing leggings with the uniform anymore, claiming it made her look "like some kind of Catholic schoolgirl from the 80's". Danielle just thanked whatever god was out there that she was still allowed to wear long sleeved shirts under her uniform on particularly bad days. Her bruises from the week before were still healing, but only noticeable on her thighs. Danielle had to be extra careful with her flimsy skirt not to let anyone see them.

Another problem was this whole Karofsky deal. Before, Danielle had carefully been able to avoid any slushie attacks. Now that she challenged the top offender, he must of felt threatened and looked for her between every class, a giant slushie in hand. So far, Danielle had been able to see him coming and get away but the game was quickly growing tiresome.

And she was _exhausted. _She thought she could handle being a Cheerio, schoolwork, her jobs and Glee club but she can't.

So she stands there, watching the crowd of students cautiously, wanting nothing more than to go to the nurse's office, fake cramps and take a nap. She can't afford to miss class, though.

She is already falling a little behind because of her exhaustion. She was tired but kept working with the motivation that cheer season ends soon and that Regional's and the last day of school come shortly after.

Danielle sighs, then catches sight of a red letterman jacket down the hall. She stiffens, but then notices that _A._ the jock wasn't Karofsky _and B._ he wasn't looking at her. Instead, his eyes are targeted on a short, Asian girl in dark clothing.

_Oh, no. Not Tina. Not today. _Danielle thinks. All week Tina had been gushing about how she and Artie were going out after school today for a study date and then dinner. She was so excited and a slushie attack would surely ruin Tina's mood and therefore, the date.

_C'mon, man, there's only one class left…can't this wait until tomorrow?_

If it were any other day, Danielle would probably turn around and pretend she hadn't seen anything. But today…she knows she has to do something.

_God_, Danielle groans inwardly as she shoves her way down the hall, _why do I have to be so goddamn nice?_

She almost reaches the shorter girl when the jock steps up to his victim. He pulls his arm back and shouts, "Hey, Gleek!"

Tina turns around, a shocked, miserable, defeated look on her face.

The boy thrusts his hand forward, letting the blue ice fly-

-as Danielle shoved Tina out of the way and took the full force of the impact.

"Augh!" Danielle hisses. _It's freezing! _And her eyes burn…

"Oh, God!" the jock exclaimes, seeing the Cheerio's uniform in front of him. Danielle realizes now that the boy is a freshman, like her. This might even be his first slushie attack. The boy raises his eyes then, and sees just who it was that he slushied. "Oh, God! Oh, no. I'm so, so-"

"_Don't_ apologize to me!" Danielle snaps at him. She wipes the ice off her eyes and points to Tina, who is standing open-mouthed next to her. "Apologize to her!"

"What? No way-okay, okay!" he backtracks, seeing Danielle's expression. He turns to Tina and mumbles, "Sorry." And then he takes off down the hall, the bell ringing after him. Soon after, the hallway empties, too.

"You go on." Danielle tells Tina, then sighs. "I'll get myself cleaned up." She eyes Tina's clothing. "It didn't get on you did it?"

She shakes her head. "No, just a little on my shoes." She pauses. "T-thank you."

Danielle gives her a curt nod, "You better have fun on your freakin' date." Tina's head bobs up and down, then she turns and hurries away.

Danielle takes a deep breath, then turns and starts sloshing away.

_Oh God, Coach Sylvester is going to _kill_me. Blue slushie all over the uniform…_

"Hey."

_Augh! What now? _Danielle keeps walking, hoping the person just goes away.

Then, Puck appears in the hallway and starts flagging Danielle down.

"Hey, Moretti!" He calls.

Danielle stops and turns to face him, still trying to get the slushie away from her eyes.

Puck saunters up to her, a patronizing smile on his face. "I saw what happened." he starts.

She snorts. "Yeah I suppose you're gonna tell me how stupid I am then, huh?"

"No." he says in a tone that makes Danielle look at him speculatively. "I thought it was pretty cool of you, what you did. It definitely took guts."

Danielle flushes a little. "Yeah well…better me than her. Coach Sylvester's going to kill me though." She gestures to her ruined uniform.

Puck snickers and follows her to her locker. Danielle pulls out her gym bag which has an extra set of clothes in it. _They should do for the rest of the day. _she thinks_, _slamming her locker shut.

Puck grins. "Come on, I know a place where you can get cleaned up." He grabs her wrist gently, and starts pulling her down the hall.

Danielle hesitates, not comfortable with him touching her, but swallows the protest that instantly jumped to her lips and tries to relax.

_C'mon, it's okay. He's okay. Missing one class couldn't hurt that badly…_

Her mind made up, Danielle takes off running down the hall, only to be jerked back by a shocked looking Puck. She smirks at him and pulls him along until he starts running with her, looking at her as if she were crazy.

Danielle lets out a girlish giggle as the two run through the halls, not caring about disturbing the classes that were in session.

…

"Okay Moretti, now strip for me." Puck rumbles, staring at Danielle expectantly.

They had just entered the boy's locker room and despite her protests, he was hell-bent on assisting Danielle with her clean up.

She gives him a look. "I'm _not_ a stripper. I Am. A. _Dancer_."

"Yeah, well some of those 'dancers'"-Puck makes air quotes-"at _Stroker's_ were more than happy to strip for me. What makes you so special?" he says, half-jokingly. He smiles at Danielle, his dark eyes shining and she can't help but smile back at him. Whenever he smiles at her, she feels lighter, like all the weariness she'd been feeling the past few weeks (…months…years, even) was slowly ebbing away.

She laughs. "It's not in my contract to strip. They only hired me to dance, sing and look pretty. The pleasing of the patrons is left up to all the other girls." she explains as she takes some towels off a rack and brings them over to a sink. "Besides, having a minor working in a club is bad enough. The owners don't want to deal with child pornography laws too."

Puck snorts, whether in agreement or disgust Danielle isn't sure.

She quietly grabs one of towels from her small pile and goes into a bathroom stall to change, ignoring Puck's noise of disappointment.

Once inside, she gingerly takes off her Cheerios uniform and assesses the damage.

It's bad.

Her uniform is splattered with blue dye. Danielle knew that not even Kurt would be able to fix it. Now she'd have to ask coach Sylvester for another one...

"So, how exactly did you end up in that dump anyway?" Puck asks from outside the stall, interrupting Danielle's mental tirade. She hesitates to answer.

_Be careful,_ her inner-voice warns. _You can't trust him. Not really._

"Uh...well I was really desperate for money." she explains. "My other job has me working almost every afternoon but my paycheck isn't nearly enough." She pauses and makes a face in discomfort. The slushie had soaked all the way through her underwear and it was _extremely_ uncomfortable. Thank god Mercedes had warned her to keep an extra set of clothes in her locker at all times. "There aren't that many places for a sixteen year old to work around here to begin with, ya know, let alone one that has exclusively late hours." Danielle slowly tries to towel herself down, wincing when she went over the dark bruises on her thighs. She sighs inwardly. It was going to be a challenge to keep Puck from seeing them, but she didn't have it in her to send him away.

She continues her story. "I really needed a night job and my s-" Danielle stops herself. "-someone I knew gave me an "in" at the club." She rushes on, trying to cover up her slip-up. "The owners only took me because I could sing. It really saved my ass."

"And the fact that you don't look like the average high-school hottie." Puck says, the tone of his voice making Danielle flush a little.

"That probably helped." She agrees, stepping out of the stall.

When Puck sees her, he grins slyly, making her flush even deeper. Danielle was wearing a white camisole that was still slightly stained with blue slushie and her black gym shorts (she had sweatpants , but didn't want to risk getting them wet). She had an iron grip on a towel which was hanging over her bruised thighs.

She ignores his grin and walks over to him, jerking his chin up with her free hand and staring commandingly in his eyes. "My eyes are up here, Puckerman."

"Thanks, but I wasn't looking for them."

Before Danielle can reply, Puck gestures for her to sit in a chair he had moved in front of the sink.

That's when Danielle sees herself in the mirror for the first time.

"Ugh, my goddamn makeup." she grumbles, wiping at the mascara trails down her face. Her cheeks are tinged blue and she immediately tries to scrub it off. Puck watches behind her, amused.

_He shouldn't be here!_ part of her screams. _What if he sees the bruises! He'll wan to know where they came from!_

_And then what?_ she wonders_. What would Puck do if he found out?_

Danielle doesn't want to take that risk.

When she is done cleaning her face, she turns on the cold water so she can wash out her hair. But Puck reaches around her to grab her hands, making Danielle jump. He pulls her back and motions for her to sit in the chair again, turning on the warm water at the same time. Intrigued, she complies, her eyes never leaving his.

"Tilt your head back." he instructs.

Danielle quirks a brow. "You want to wash my hair?"

"Sure." he says, flashing a smile. "It'll be easier that way. Plus I could 'accidentally' spill water on that white shirt and..." he trails off suggestively.

Danielle turns to smirk at him. "I'm not sure if I can trust a guy with no hair to take good care of mine."

At this, Puck's face falls and he starts to reach up to his shaved head.

_Shit._ Danielle thinks. Too soon.

But in an instant, the look is gone and his confident smirk is back. "Just trust me."

Danielle hesitates, then pulls her ponytail out and lets her auburn waves down. They brush against her mostly bare shoulders. Danielle leans her head back and lets Puck pull her hair under the faucet.

Gently, he runs his hands through her hair under the warm water. Danielle wants to groan it feels so good, but she knows Puck would make numerous suggestive comments about it.

"Told you; you can trust me." he murmurs in Danielle's ear. She can hear the smug smirk in the tone of his voice.

"Mmhmmm..." is all she says in reply. She feels her muscles relaxing, leans back further, and closes her eyes, listening to the sound of running water.

"If you want, I can help you wash, too." Puck's voice interrupts. "The showers are right over there..."

Danielle opens one eye to give him a warning glare. He seems totally unruffled, however, and waggles his brows at her.

Danielle 'tsks' him. "You'd be in enough trouble getting caught with me in the locker room, and now you want to risk taking a shower? Imagine the things people would say!" she sighs dramatically. Puck just grins wider. "You really have no shame, do you?" she asks.

"You didn't answer the question, babe." Puck rumbles, not paying attention to Danielle's hair anymore and tugging at it way too hard.

"You never actually asked me a question." Danielle grunts, trying to ignore the pain in her scalp.

"Wanna have shower sex with me?"

_Jeez. Just come right out and say it. Whatever happened to chivalry?_

Danielle snorts again. "In your dreams, Puckerman."

"Damn right." he replies, his hands practically yanking Danielle's hair out of its roots.

"Okay, you need to stop." Danielle commands as she launches herself out of the seat. "You're yanking my hair out of my head."

Puck doesn't even argue; he just shuffles aside as she positions herself over the sink. Danielle flips her head into the sink and pushes her hair under the water, all the while keeping her towel over her legs.

"Sorry." Puck says, though he obviously wasn't. "…This is a better view though." he muses looking at Danielle's bent over figure.

"You touch my ass and I will kick you so hard you won't be able to reproduce." Danielle growls.

Puck clicks his tongue, and then mumbles something about someone needing to do that a few months ago.

_Oh. That's right._

It was so easy to forget that all the baby drama surrounding Quinn also applied to Puck. Of course, his body wasn't changing like Quinn's, and the difference was more in his attitude. Quinn always makes it very clear to everyone that the pregnancy was changing her life, but Puck hardly ever called attention to it. He never talked about it with Danielle that was for sure.

_And why should he? I'm not anything to him. He so obviously still loves Quinn, even if she is a hopeless case._

And while Danielle can't deny that she likes Puck, he doesn't seem to be seriously interested in her. Any relationship between her and Puck would be short and meaningless, which could be fine with Danielle. It would actually be better that way. Danielle couldn't afford to have a real relationship in her life right now. Maybe someday, when she gets out of Lima for good...

Danielle fights the urge to sigh and then glances from the corner of her eye to see Puck staring at her ass. When he catches her gaze, he jumps and gives her a little wave.

Danielle chuckles and then turns off the water. She squeezes her hair out a little and looks for a towel. Her search stops short when she sees Puck holding one out next to her.

She gives him an appreciative smile, and then takes a deep breath, steadying herself.

"And for my final trick…" she jokes.

Concentrating hard, Danielle quickly flips her hair over her shoulder, sending fat water droplets flying...and then she trips unceremoniously over the chair that Puck had put in front of the sink.

Time seemed to go in slow motion.

In her disoriented state, Danielle is aware that she is falling and would most likely hit her head on the sink. She also registers that Puck had tossed away his towel and was rushing to help her. But more importantly, she knows that she dropped the towel she had been holding, leaving her bruised legs exposed to the world.

Then, time resumed and she finds herself in Puck's arms. He must have caught her before she hit her head and their faces were very close. Both of them were wild-eyed and panting hard. Puck's face slowly morphs into a self-satisfied smirk. He quickly starts looking up and down Danielle's body, checking to make sure she was okay.

Danielle panics. She has to do something!

The same moment that his eyes reach the splotchy bruises on her thighs, Danielle's mouth collides with Puck's frantically, taking them both by surprise.

Puck stands shock-still for an instant, but then quickly recovers and kisses her back enthusiastically. His strong arms bring both of them upright so that they are standing chest to chest. He leans down towards her, making up for the height difference between them and deepens the kiss.

Danielle's head is swimming. In a matter of seconds her brain is completely wiped clean of any thoughts that don't involve kissing or touching Puck. She never believed she would get to do this, never even really wished...

But here she was.

Puck's mouth forces Danielle's open and his tongue clashes with hers, making Danielle groan. She melts closer to him until their bodies were flush together. Then, she intertwines her arms around Puck's neck as he grabbed her waist, holding her tightly.

The embrace is by no means gentle, but Danielle doesn't care. Normally, the slightest touch from a person would make her flinch away, but Puck's touch was warm and addicting, like fire on her skin.

Danielle craved _more_. More affection, more touches, more rough kisses. She forgets about everything else. She just needs_ more_.

Danielle's still soaking wet hair was leaving long wet trails down her and Puck's shirts. When she moves away for a breath, Danielle watches the tiny rivulets make the thin fabric of Puck's shirt stick to his skin. When Puck sees where she is looking, his dark eyes seemed to sparkle with…something. Danielle leans back in to kiss him again, unwinding her arms from around his neck and moving them under the hem of his shirt. When she moves them up his chest and Puck makes a small sound of pleasure and kisses Danielle roughly.

The pair are so lost in the warmth of their touches and the heat of their breath that they both forget about the dark marks on Danielle's thighs.

Puck's hands slowly roll the bottom of Danielle's shirt up her stomach until it rests just above her navel. A part of Danielle freezes and screams that this was going too far, but after a moment of hesitation, she decides to ignore it.

Though Danielle had been kissed and man-handled more than once in her life (she did work in a club, after all) this is nothing like anything she has ever experienced before. She was determined to make it last as long a possible.

Danielle shivers as Puck's warm hands gently strokes her flat stomach and caress her lower back. It feels like they're tracing the path of a warm flame on her pale, freckled skin. Danielle rolls her hips into Puck's and he groans in response.

Suddenly, Puck spins Danielle around and forces her against the bathroom stall, kissing her hard and unyieldingly. Danielle immediately panics at the trapped feeling, hating the pressure on her body. She feels like she was being pinned down by an all too familiar weight.

_Something isn't right._

Her hands move off Puck's chest, and she starts to push him away. Puck, feeling Danielle's panic, immediately changes tactics and moves his mouth from her now swollen lips to her collarbone, kissing her gently. His hold on her hips softens too, and he starts tracing patterns on her skin.

_It's okay_, he seems to be saying. _I can be gentle. _

_Trust me._

When the pressure is relieved, the phantom feeling vanishes

Danielle starts to relax as he lightly kisses her neck.

_God that feels amazing_, she thinks, her eyes fluttering.

When Puck starts chuckling against her skin, she realizes she must have spoken out loud and blushes.

Suddenly, Puck's laughter stops and his lips hover over Danielle's neck.

Confused, Danielle looks down at him and freezes.

Puck is staring at the dark splotches on her legs.

Looking horrified, Puck quickly pulls away from Danielle. She pales, but doesn't gasp or cry.

She doesn't make a move to cover the bruises or offer Puck any reassurances or lies. Puck wishes she'd say something, but Danielle doesn't know what to say to him, where to begin.

For a while, the pair just stands in silence.

The heat of the moment is gone and they are once again brought back to the harshness of the real world.

It's Puck who finally breaks the silence.

"Wha-what-"

"Puck..." Danielle croaks.

"Where did they come from? And don't try to bullshit me." he says, seeing Danielle's reluctant expression. She keeps silent, still unsure of what to say. "Did someone come after you at Stroker's?" he continues. "I swear to God-"

"It's not from the club." Danielle says quietly.

"Then who-"

"Puck, stop."

He recoils. "What? I can't just let that-" he gestures to her thighs and seems to lose the ability to speak. He just stares at the bruises, his mind racing.

Danielle, finally taking action, swoops down to grab the towel to cover herself again.

"Look just drop it, ok?" she snaps at him. "You have no idea what you're getting into-"

"I don't care. You need help."

She fixes him with a defiant look. "I am doing just fine on my own." she lies.

Before Puck can think of a response, she stalks over to the other side of the bathroom and finishes cleaning herself off by another sink.

Puck remains in the same spot, still absorbing what just happened. He slowly walks over to the bench and sits down, staring off into space.

_Suddenly, the sound of guitar chords filled the locker room. It's a slow tune, sad sounding._

Puck looks straight ahead, but now there is a ghostly image in front of him. It appears to be him and Danielle, though they are both dressed in black clothing and are nearly transparent. The two are still in their heated make out session. Puck doesn't react to the vision, but watches uninterestedly, more concerned about his current situation with Danielle. He begins to sing morosely.

_I wanted you to know, that I love the way you laugh._

_I want to hold you high and steal your pain away._

_I keep your photograph, and I know it serves me well._

_I want to hold you high and steal your pain._

From across the room Danielle joins in, not looking in Puck's direction.

_Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome,_

_And I don't feel right when you've gone away..._

Danielle moves away from the sink and towards the stalls. Puck drags his eyes off the ghostly couple and watches her intently. She pauses at the door, looking back at him. He continues singing alone while staring unblinkingly at her.

_You've gone away; you don't feel me here, anymore._

Danielle lowers her eyes from his gaze ashamedly and enters the stall. Puck's eyes drift back to the front of the room.

Inside the stall, Danielle leans against the door, closing her eyes and holding her hands at her throat. Now, she sings alone.

_The worst is over now, and we can breathe again._

_I want to hold you high, you steal my pain away._

She lowers her hands and looks skyward, as if pleading for help. But Danielle doesn't believe in God. She had stopped believing in anything of that sort a long time ago.

_There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight._

_I want to hold you high and steal your pain._

As she gets dressed, Puck continues watching the ghosts' continuing embrace. They sing together.

_Cause I'm broken, when I'm open_

_And I don't feel like I am strong enough_

_Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome_

_And I don't feel right when you're gone away_

The music continues in a quiet interlude. After a few moments, Danielle steps out of the stall, now in long sweatpants, a pair of converse and a fitted t shirt. Her hair is still damp, but no longer dripping.

She walks over to Puck and stands in front of him. He looks up at her wearily, a million questions on his mind.

Danielle sighs and kneels down in front of him.

"Listen..." she starts, "I know you want to help me. I'm a damsel in distress and you want to be the knight in shining armor, I get it." she says bitterly. "But I can't let you mess everything up for me. This is my future on the line."

"But what about now?" Puck fires back fiercely, concerned for her clear in his eyes. "I don't want to see you get hurt. I like you, a lot. I've been trying to get close to you for months now."

Danielle's eyes widen slightly at the confession but she does not change her stern expression.

_I never thought he was serious, never thought his advances were genuine..._

"So, yes, I want to help you." Puck continues. "I didn't realize that helping someone was considered a capital crime in your world." he fumes.

Danielle ducks her head. "Only when your help would cause more harm than good."

At this comment Puck huffs and folds his arms.

"I'm so sick of everyone thinking I'm some big screw up. I can help, too!"

"It's not you." Danielle tells him, trying to sound gentle. "I won't let anyone help me. I can't." She really sounds…alone.

Puck watches her and knows she's struggling. His frustrated gaze softens, almost against his will. There is silence for a moment.

"...I won't tell anyone." He says finally.

Danielle looks up at him with a mixed expression, frozen somewhere between grateful and shocked.

"I wouldn't do that." Puck continues. "I couldn't do that to you. Your business is your business." He pauses. "But I can't just ignore it. Not if we're going to be..."

_Going to be what exactly?_

"together." He finishes lamely.

_Whoa._

"You'll learn to." Danielle says distractedly, still not quite believing what she just heard. She takes a minute or two to take it all in. Then, "If you really want to be with me, then you'll _have_ to learn to ignore them. And know that I have my secrets, like I'm sure you do. If you promise not to ask me mine, I won't ask you yours. Simple as that."

After a brief moment of hesitation, Puck nods his head to her request and Danielle visibly relaxes. His brain is already hard at work thinking of other ways to find out more about Danielle. Her family, her jobs, her history, her life.

Funny, he can't remember ever caring about a girl's life outside of their relationship before. He never thought it made that big of an impact. Clearly, Danielle was very different from what he was used to.

Still not completely happy, but satisfied for the moment, Danielle stands up and walks away from him, to erase any evidence that the two were in the locker room. Puck goes back to staring at the ghostly images when the music starts up again and they sing to each other from across the room.

_Cause I'm broken, when I'm open_

_And I don't feel like I am strong enough_

_Cause I'm broken, when I'm lonesome_

_And I don't feel right when you've gone away..._

Danielle stands in front of Puck again, blocking his vision of the ghosts. This time, the couple disappears altogether. He sighs and stands up, avoiding her eyes. She watches him wearily. Slowly, they walk towards the exit together.

_You've gone away,_

Then Puck finishes the sad tune,

_You don't feel me here, anymore._

Right before they leave, Puck reaches out and grabs Danielle's hand. She looks up at him, and the corners of her mouth turn up. Her emerald eyes sparkle at him. Puck looks down at her and feels a same small, sad grin spread across his face despite how lost he feels. They leave the room together, hand in hand, just as the bell rings, signaling the end of the day.

...

**_REVIEW!_**


	7. Chapter 7

_I do not own glee. Song is "Facedown" by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus._

**1:7 It's All Over Now**

Scene 1 WMHS hallway

It is truly astonishing amazing how much high-schoolers take interest in the personal lives of their peers.

Seriously, think about it. When a man and women walk down the street together, hand in hand, nobody gawks or stares. Why? Because they don't know them personally, therefore, it doesn't matter. In high school, everyone gawks at the new couples walking down the hallways, even when they've never spoken a word to either person their whole lives.

_Either they have no lives of their own or they are just really nosy. _Danielle thinks_, Or both. Actually, probably both._

She and Puck walk down the middle of the hallway the day after the slushie incident, arms entwined. Danielle is trying to avoid eye contact with…well, everyone. The only thing keeping her from darting into the sea of adolescents was Puck's firm grasp on her hand.

She sneaks a glance up at her new…_boyfriend?_ and sees that he is in his element. Puck has a small smirk on his face and a dangerous glint in his eye as he surveys the crowded hallway before them. When he sees Danielle's glance, he winks at her. Danielle's face turns red at the public gesture and ducks her head, unable to hold back a grin. They stroll on, and the crowd splits before them all the way to the Danielle's math class, where the two would split up.

Danielle reaches the doorway to her class just as the bell rings. Puck leans down for a kiss, and, after slight hesitation, Danielle gives him a quick peck on the lips before pulling away. Puck frowns at her, petulantly. Danielle grins coyly, mouths "_Later"_ and leaves without another word, leaving Puck standing in the doorway.

He shakes his head, still a little miffed, and turns around to make his way to class or wherever he would go to ditch class at this time of day. You could never tell with him.

When she takes her usual seat in the back of the room, Danielle catches Tina looking at her with wide eyes and a confused expression. Danielle raises her brows at her innocently and Tina immediately turns away, pulling her phone out of her pocket and texting furiously.

Danielle rolls her eyes, good naturedly. She's probably texting either Kurt or Mercedes, dying to know the nature of Puck and Danielle's new relationship.

Danielle watches Tina with interest, remembering how Kurt had reacted when she had told him the news…

…

"…"

"Kurt?" Danielle asks, slightly concerned at the usually talkative boy's silence.

"…"

"Kurt, come on. Say something."

"…you made out with _Noah Puckerman_, _during_ _school hours_, in the _boys locker room_, after he _helped_ _clean you up from a slushie attack_ _meant for Tina_."

Danielle thinks that he missed out the most important thing that happened, but she knows that she should let this information sink in before bringing it up again.

"Yep." She replies. "That…that just about covers it."

"…Well, if that doesn't sound like something out of an 80's movie, I don't know what does."

Danielle bursts out a laugh, moving closer to the phone booth to try to shield herself from the wind.

"And I'm the first one who knows about this? Really?!"

Danielle purses her lips. "Well, besides Puck…"

"Wow. I. Am. Honored. I can't wait to tell Mercedes! Oh my gosh, people are going to flip!"

Danielle lets him ramble, putting more change into the booth. Kurt is the queen bee of the gossip world, and since she and Puck have nothing to hide, Danielle doesn't care if he spreads around the news that they are dating. As long as he doesn't blow it out of proportion.

"So…what was it like?" Kurt asks after awhile, sounding very shy. Danielle knows he has no experience with this kind of thing and smiles to herself, imagining his (adorable) discomfort. "I mean…kissing a boy?" he mumbles.

"It's…well it's kind of like…" Danielle is stumped. She's been kissed many times before and they were all basically the same. Quick, wet, unyielding, hard. Over just as fast as it started. But it was different with Puck. More lingering, more intense, softer, but above all… "Warm." She says finally.

"Warm…" Kurt echoes, sounding thoughtful. "What about-"

"Kurt, hold on. I'd love to tell you all about what it's like to make out with guys but we've got bigger problems."

She can practically feel Kurt recoil at the end of the phone when he recalls the other, more serious, stuff.

"We?" he tries to deflect. "I don't recall a 'we' here-"

Danielle can't let him ignore this. Not anymore. She's in way too deep.

They both are.

"Kurt. Please, you're the only one I can talk to." She lowers her voice to a whisper. "He saw my bruises. He knows, Kurt, and I don't know what to do."

"..."

"I'm sorry to dump all of this on you and I know that you have your own problems with your dad and Finn and all," Danielle says miserably, "but I need advice. I may know about guys and sex and whatever, but I'm not good with dealing with people. I need you."

Kurt sighs, but he it's not impatient sounding. More sad than anything.

"Okay, hon. Tell me all about it."

…

So she did, and they both came to the conclusion that Danielle should just avoid the topic for as long as possible. Maybe it'll go away on its own.

Danielle isn't so quick to think so, though.

When they were sitting in Glee club later that morning (boy did they make an entrance _that_ day), Puck kept shooting her weird glances. He looked almost as if he were worried about her. Despite his huge comeback, he'd been quieter than usual all day, thinking hard about something. Danielle suspects immediately that he still must be thinking about the bruises.

Her suspicion is confirmed at lunch when Puck starts questioning her again.

"So…are they from the dancing? I mean, I know some stri-_dancers_ sometimes do some kinky stuff-"

"What? No! _No_. I thought we'd agreed to drop this." Danielle groans. She knew he wouldn't give up so easily. The first thing she'd ever determined about Puck was that he is trouble. However, the second was that he is unbelievably persistent.

"Okay, okay." He says, leaning back. After a pause he starts again. "But seriously, you can't expect me to just pretend that they're not there."

"I pretend they're not there every day." Danielle shoots back. "And I'm fine. I'm exhausted from everything that's going on…" It's true. The pressure Danielle had been feeling the past few weeks was only building. She knew that if this continued for much longer she'd snap.

"But I'm fine." She finishes, getting up to get a guitar from the band's equipment. Puck just sighs before pulling out his own guitar and strumming on it listlessly.

They play for awhile silently before Puck tries to put them back on good terms.

"Do you have webbed hands or something? Spread your fingers out more." He instructs, taking Danielle's hand and demonstrating.

"I'm trying." Danielle grumbles. She flexes her hand and places it back on the frets, concentrating hard.

Puck leans back, apparently satisfied. "You'd think that with all your experience you'd be better with your hands, Moretti."

She flips him off, making him grin. "I'm much better with my hips actually." Danielle informs him, smiling flirtatiously.

"I just might have to put that to a test." Puck says, leaning over to kiss her.

Danielle is about to close the distance, but an idea occurs to her and she pulls away.

"Uh-uh. You want some of this," she says, "you better stop asking so many questions."

"Oh, come on." Puck whines.

"I mean it Puckerman. No boundaries, no relationship."

Puck shakes his head and looks away from her. Danielle looks away too, biting her lip.

After a few moments of silence, the bell rings and the two stand up to depart. Danielle puts the guitar back, expecting Puck to be gone when she turns around. But when she does, he is still standing in the doorway, waiting. He doesn't look remorseful, but has the same worried expression that he had earlier.

The look makes Danielle feel worn out. She knows it's a hard thing for him to accept. He doesn't understand that some secrets are better kept secret like Kurt does. It also makes her feel guilty for conflicting him so. But he's sticking with her, and that means more than either of them is ready to think about.

Feeling compassionate, Danielle walks up to him, wraps her arm around his neck and gives him a deep kiss. He responds instantly, pulling her closer to him and putting his arm around her waist. Because of the short cheer uniform top, Puck's hands touch the skin on her mid-back and they both sigh.

Eventually, the two break apart without looking at each other. Danielle is the first to turn around and walk away and like so many times before, Puck watches her depart.

Scene Two: WMHS hallway

The next day, school is almost over when Danielle walks to her locker unaccompanied. Puck had detention so she wouldn't see him until tomorrow. She isn't paying attention to her surroundings and doesn't see the blond standing at her locker. By the time she notices her, it is too late for Danielle to turn around and pretend she didn't.

_Great. Just great. _She thinks sourly.

_Well, I guess this was coming eventually. _Danielle re-thinks reasonably, arching her back and striding towards her locker.

Quinn watches her approach with a calm expression, but Danielle knows not to be deceived. Quinn could go from nice to bitchy in two seconds flat. It was probably just one of her many talents.

_Either that or a part of the whole "being a hormonal pregnant teenager" thing._

Which is exactly why Danielle knows she has to face this head-on, like most unpleasant situations in her life.

_Well, on the bright side, if Quinn claws my eyes out I won't have to worry about college money. Blind kids count as minorities, right?_

Danielle steps right up to Quinn and looks her straight in the eye._"_Look, Quinn…I don't want to step on anyone's toes here. Puck is your baby daddy and that means a lot more than a high school fling, which is _all_ we are, by the way." Danielle takes a breath. This conversation has been well rehearsed. "What I'm getting at here is that…he's still yours if you want him. Just say the word, and I guarantee he'd come running to your side. No hard feelings."

Quinn eyes Danielle speculatively, but also looks a little stunned._"_I say, go for it." she finally replies, sounding a little enthusiastic.

Danielle raises her brows at the blonde in surprise."Seriously?"

"Listen," says Quinn, sounding calmer again, "I screwed up by letting Puck get me pregnant. He's an idiot and I'm stuck living with him for now, but that might change soon." She smiles and lowers her voice a little. "Mercedes offered for me to stay with her for awhile. I might take her up on it, too, because I'm tired of listening to Puck's insane theories about how Super Mario Brothers changed the world. And his mom won't let me eat bacon."

Danielle snorts and Quinn grins. But after a moment, her face falls and she leans in towards Danielle.

"But you do realize he's just using you to boost his image, right? Dating a Cheerio, that's just playing the game. He's taking a bet on you sure, but if you don't win he'll drop you in a second."

Danielle chooses her words carefully_. "_I realize now that that's probably the reason he wanted to go public with this," she gestures to herself then out to wherever Puck is, "…but the truth is, we've kinda been seeing each other for awhile now. Not-not romantically," she adds, seeing Quinn's eyes flash. "He never cheated with me. Not on you, not on anyone. But we've had…some moments."

Danielle thinks about the first time Puck asked her out to dinner, their afternoon guitar session, and the burgers they ate out late on Friday nights…

She gives herself a mental shake. "But now," she continues, "this is different. This is a real relationship. It may be temporary, and I get that, but honestly, I like being with him a lot." Danielle confesses. "I feel…close to him. Closer than I am with a lot of people."

"That may be," Quinn replies, "but I just don't want you getting hurt. Puck doesn't play fair. He cheats."

Danielle shrugs. "If he does I'll just end it. I know who he is and I'm not looking for a serious relationship. I don't expect anything from him. The nice dinner dates, the cute nicknames, the "meet the parents" drama…I don't want it. And Puck doesn't want to deal with it either. So, really, he's perfect for me, even if it's over tomorrow. I'm not that big a loss to him, mostly because he's still in love with you." Danielle reasons, then pauses, not sure if it was the right thing to say.

Quinn blanches at her statement and looks around the quickly emptying hall, avoiding Danielle's eyes.

"Don't worry about me." Danielle finishes. "If Puck wants to break up or cheat or whatever then fine, I'll deal. I just like being with him."

Quinn is silent for a long time. Then she returns her gaze to Danielle. "You know Santana is not going to be happy about this. Not even Puck can call her off. I'd be careful if I were you."

Danielle snorts. "I've got bigger problems than dealing with Santana's sensibilities."

Quinn shrugs and gives Danielle one last smile before walking away.

Danielle opens her locker and pretends to rummage books around until the hallway is completely deserted. Once it is, she slumps down onto the floor, folding her head into the crook of her arm.

She is exhausted. Lately, she'd been unable to eat properly, stay awake in class or sleep straight through the night. She feels tired but can't sleep unless it's to the drone of her teachers. Danielle's brain is constantly thinking. She's spread out between classes (which she's starting to fail), Glee (where she hasn't done an assignment in weeks), Cheerio's (where she's the new lead vocalist since Mercedes quit the week before), work (which is always the same) and home (where nothing is the same).

Now she has Puck, Santana, Quinn and Kurt (who is already going through a rough time with his dad) to worry about.

She sighs, trying to exhale all the air out of her body, hoping some of her negative energy will flow out.

Lately, Danielle feels as if she's standing on a cliff overlooking into a huge sea that she must swim through…and she's about to be pushed in.

Scene 3: WMHS Parking Lot

**Clunk!**

_What does she mean by "I pretend they're not there every day?_

"No, no, no, no, no, no!"

**Clunk!**

_How long has she had them exactly? Bruises only last a few weeks at the most…_

"Come, on! I'm sorry man! Please, this is a new shir-Argh!"

**Clunk!**

_I do know one thing. Those aren't ordinary bruises. Those are sex bruises._

"Please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

**Clunk!**

_But who would she be with? Maybe she's already seeing someone. Nah, she's still too reserved. _I_ can barely touch her without her flinching away._

**Clunk!**

_I swear to God if any of those creeps at the club went after her I'll-_

Puck couldn't find the words to express his rage at the very thought of any guy coming on to Danielle. Especially at the club.

**Clunk!**

_Well, I guess order has been restored. _Puck thinks. Once the nerds stopped fighting their fate, he knew that his rightful place as the school badass and nerd-tormenter has been restored. After all, that was the whole reason he decided to officially make Danielle his girlfriend. If he'd known then how deep he'd get into this relationship, he'd probably never of done it.

He's secretly glad he didn't know.

"Yo, Puck! You want the next one? He looks like a tiny lumberjack!" Tom calls, leering into a familiar pale face.

"Get your hands off me! These clothes may not be Marc Jacob but I will _not_ be thrown into a dumpster again!" Kurt shouts, glaring at the beefy football player.

Puck steps up. "Back off, man. Kurt's a Cheerio now. Which means we can't dump him."

Tom looked at Kurt stupidly. "You're that gay kid on the cheer squad? Why do you look like a dude?"

_Big mistake_. Puck thinks.

"Because _I am_ a guy you-you uncultured, idiotic swine!" Kurt shrieks in his Mellencamp outfit.

"What did you call me?" Tom says forcefully, getting up in Kurt's face.

"Woah, woah, woah, easy." Puck jumps in between the two before Kurt becomes the football player's lunch. He sighs. "Tom, can you take it from here? I've got to talk some sense into Kurt."

Tom nods stiffly, then turns and reaches for the next dweeb.

Puck grabs Kurt's arm and starts tugging him away.

"Don't touch me!" Kurt shrieks again and Puck drops his hand away quickly.

"Sorry." He immediately apologizes.

_Woah. Did he just _apologize_? Must be from all that time around Danielle._

"You shouldn't be here, Kurt. What are you doing?"

"What am _I_ doing? Well I'm certainly not dropping kids into dumpsters. Wasn't that you a week ago?" Kurt shakes his head, watching the scene in front of them. "Danielle would be so disappointed…"

"Danielle is part of the reason why I'm doing this." Puck snaps.

Kurt looks at him, eyes slit suspiciously. "Danielle is forcing you to dump kids in waste containers?"

"No, Danielle is stressing me out and this," he gestures to the nerds in the garbage, "helps."

"How could she possibly be stressing you out that much? You've only been together five days! If anything, you're causing her grief! Your relationship with her is based off your social status. How do you think she feels knowing that the sole purpose of her relationship is you putting kids into dumpsters?"

Puck opens his mouth. Shuts it.

Kurt sighs. "She really likes you-"

"If she really liked me, she wouldn't be keeping things from me." Puck snaps.

Kurt freezes. "What do you mean?"

Puck pauses, remembering the promise he made to Danielle in the locker room.

"…You and her, you're close right? Friends?"

Kurt just eyes him suspiciously, not responding.

Puck leans in closer to Kurt's ear. "Do you know anything about Danielle's life? I mean, outside of school."

Kurt is conflicted. On one side, he knows that Danielle's situation is only getting worse and he wants to help her, but he also remembers his promise to keep her problems a secret.

_But Puck already knows._ He reasons. _I'm not actually spilling anything._

He looks at Puck and is a little shocked at how frantic the boy looks. Maybe not in stature, but in his eyes there is definitely something there.

Kurt doesn't approve of Puck, or of his relationship with Danielle, but he's the only one that understands. Maybe, he can even help.

His decision made, Kurt stands up tall and looks his former bully in the eye.

"Danielle…has a rough life." He starts. "I don't know _all_ the details, but I know that she lives alone with her dad and that he…"

Kurt trails off and Puck's muscles tighten.

"That he what? Is he the one that's hurting her?" Puck demands.

"I don't know for sure." Kurt says miserably. "She won't talk about it. She hates him though, but won't leave."

"Why?"

"Because she's afraid of the consequences." Kurt tries, and fails, to see things her way. "Right now, where she is, it's stable. Not safe, but consistent. Without that consistency, she thinks her future is in jeopardy."

"So she's staying with her psycho dad because she's scared of taking a chance?" Puck says in astonishment. "You've got to be kidding me! She's the bravest girl I know!"

"The strongest, too." Kurt agrees. "But she doesn't see it that way. I already told her she could stay with me if she ever needed to, but she insists on handling this on her own."

The two are silent for a moment.

"Well, then we have to show her she isn't alone." Puck states bleakly.

"She isn't going to like that." Kurt warns.

"I don't care. I know what happens to kids in bad homes. That won't happen to her. I won't let it."

Suddenly, Kurt feels more respect for the delinquent.

"What exactly do you have in mind?"

Scene 4: Choir Room

"Alright guys, as the week draws to a close I wanted to say that I am very proud of you for really reaching down deep and finding you voice." Mr. Schue tells the Glee club, smiling over-enthusiastically. "I know we had some bumps in the road, but we're almost done!"

He looks at the kids and finds the final performer. "Puck, you ready to go?"

The boy hesitates momentarily, but nobody but Kurt notices.

_Please don't back out on this…_ the small boy thinks, crossing his fingers under his chair.

But then, Puck spares a glance to his new girlfriend and his resolve is hardened.

"'Course, Mr. Schue."

Puck makes his way to the front of the room. Finn takes his place on drum-set while Puck stands in the center of the room with one the band-member's electric guitars.

"So…lately, I've been doing a lot of thinking." The Glee club exchanges skeptical looks. "And I've realized that sometimes, doing the right thing really sucks." Everyone chuckles. "I mean really. Anyway, sometimes, you just have to man-up and do something unpleasant, in order to help the people you care about. So here's my way of doing that."

Now, everyone is really confused. Glances are shot at both Danielle and Quinn before the music starts and everyone's gazes lock on Puck.

_Hey girl, you know, you drive me crazy_

_One look puts the rhythm in my hand_

_Still I'll never understand why you hang around_

_I see what's goin' down_

Suddenly, Danielle sits up ram-rod straight and looks as if she's having trouble breathing.

_This can't be happening, this can't be happening… _she thinks, shooting Puck a panicked look.

Puck sees it, but keeps singing.

_Cover up with make up in the mirror_

_Tell yourself it's never gonna happen again_

_You cry alone and then he swears he loves you!_

Then he takes off with a vengeance.

_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end_

_As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found!_

As Puck continues performing, the Glee club starts fidgeting nervously. What does this mean?

Mr. Schue looks concernedly through the crowd of kids while they all secretly eye Quinn and Danielle, wondering if the song is directed at them. Quinn notices the glances and immediately shakes her head. _It's not me._

Kurt, meanwhile, only has eyes for Danielle.

She has turned paler than usual and looks like she's going to be sick, but her eyes are ablaze with anger and betrayal…

_Face down in the dirt she said, "This doesn't hurt"_

_She said, "I finally had enough"_

_Face down in the dirt she said, "This doesn't hurt"_

_She said, "I finally had enough"_

Now, Puck and Finn (who is totally oblivious to the situation) sing together.

_One day she will tell you that she has had enough!_

_It's coming round again!_

Puck moves away from the stage and right up to the crowd, looking directly at Danielle. Her expression is a mixture of hatred and hurt, but Puck can't tear his gaze away.

He has to show her, to tell her.

He will defend her against anything.

_Do you feel like a man, when you push her around?_

_Do you feel better now as she falls to the ground?_

_Well, I'll tell you my friend, one day this world's going to end_

_As your lies crumble down, a new life she has found!_

Finally, Puck wanders away, leaving Danielle to the horrified Glee clubbers. Her face is a deep scarlet and she shoots everyone a toxic glare. Finally, her eyes land on Kurt and she gives him the dirtiest look he's ever seen. His eyes water and he tries to reach out to her, but she jerks away.

Danielle stands up, absolutely mortified and storms towards the door. She doesn't need this. She doesn't need their pity or their help.

She's fine.

_Face down in the dirt she says, "This doesn't hurt"_

_She says, "I finally had enough"!_

Just as the song ends, the door to the choir room slams shut, making everyone flinch.

Once Danielle leaves, everyone remains seated, each individual trying to put together what had just occurred.

"Oh, God." Quinn finally says hoarsely, holding in tears and nobody can think of anything else to say.

Never before has the room been so silent.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	8. Chapter 8

_I do not own glee. Song is "How to Save a Life" by the Fray._

**1:8 How to Save a Life**

Scene 1: Choir Room

"…Okay, it's third period. She isn't here."

"Maybe Mr. Schu is talking to her. I mean, he is a teacher. He'd be able to handle this better than us."

"Negative. I saw him in Figgin's office earlier."

"I couldn't stop thinking about it all weekend. Are you sure about this, Puckerman?"

"Positive. I saw it myself."

"You saw her getting beat up?!"

"No! Just-"

"He's not wrong. I saw it, too."

"Saw what exactly?"

Before Puck or Kurt can answer, the door to the choir room slowly creaks open. Everyone hushes up and sits tall, trying to look nonchalant.

"Morning, guys." Mr. Schu greets the group. The kids breathe a huge sigh, mixed with both relief and disappointment.

"Mr. Schu?" Rachel starts, "I think there's a situation that needs to be addressed-"

"Oh really? Would you mind sharing what that is?" piques up a new voice, making Mr. Schu roll his eyes. A short, blonde man steps through the door. He looks like some kind of lawyer or businessman. The kids know instinctively not trust him with the latest Glee club crisis.

"Um…" Rachel stammers.

"It's just that Danielle isn't here today." Kurt says smoothly. "Everyone else is accounted for, though."

Mr. Schu's eyes flash, remembering what happened last Friday and nods to Kurt.

_I haven't forgotten. _the nod says.

"All right guys," he starts, "This is Mr. Ryan. He's a member of the school board and he would like to say a few words. Just listen critically."

Mr. Ryan then proceeded to make the kids even more depressed. He insists that their hopes and dreams would never come true. Sure, they've heard it before from their peers and sometimes even family members, but to hear a teacher say it in the sacred choir room…it stung.

Tina started crying right in the middle of his spiel.

Fortunately, it's over quickly and before the kids know it Mr. Schu was chasing Mr. Ryan down the hall and they are left alone again.

"So do you think she'll come back?" Mercedes is the first to ask.

"She has to. She wouldn't work her butt off for this long just to get up and leave now," Puck reasons, praying that he is right.

"Well she's always working. She probably has enough dough to just get up and-"

The door opens again, but this time nobody jumps, assuming that it's Mr. Schu.

"-leave?" A familiar voice finishes Mercedes' sentence.

The kids whip around to see Danielle standing in the doorway; her arms are folded over her chest and a hostile expression is on her face. She doesn't look different, though. She's still in her Cheerios uniform and doesn't have any visible bruises or scars, though there are dark bags under her eyes and she looks more exhausted than ever. But the Glee kids knew both Puck _and_ Kurt wouldn't make something like this up.

"Well I didn't. Sorry to disappoint you." Danielle snaps, then walks to the back of the room and plops down in a seat, making sure to stay far, far away from Puck and Kurt.

The room is still for a second, and then everyone quickly starts talking to each other and try to act natural. Everyone but Puck and Kurt, that is.

Neither one of them has spoken to Danielle since Friday and they were greatly distressed by her sudden appearance.

Puck had been blacklisted from the Strokers and refused entrance. He even tried waiting outside until Danielle left that night, but she walked right past him, jumped into her car and sped away. Neither Puck nor Kurt had an idea where Danielle lived or they would have followed her home. Her lack of a cell phone also makes her especially difficult to track down.

But now both boys keep their distance. They are just glad that she didn't leave Lima…yet.

After a few more tense moments, a tired looking Mr. Schu comes back into the room.

"Sorry about that, guys, he's kind of-" his voice drops off when he sees Danielle. "Uh…uh. Danielle?"

The girl in question looks at the teacher with a pained expression. _Please_. It says, _Please, just leave me be._

"I'd like to speak with you about something, if you'd…" he gestures towards his little office.

Danielle huffs then picks up her bag and follows him into the small room, looking extremely unhappy.

Once the door shuts, the conversation in the room picks up again.

"Oh my God, she looked horrible. So pale and tired…" Tina says fretfully.

"Are you surprised? Obviously something is wrong with her." Quinn puts in.

"We should do something." Finn speaks up. "I mean, Mr. Schu didn't really give us an assignment this week. So maybe we could, I don't know, show Danielle that we're here for her."

"She's not going to like that." Kurt mumbles, but he is drowned out by the Glee kid's noises of assent.

"Project: Help the girl from the projects is under way." Santana quips, but nobody even bothers to scold her.

…

"…"

Mr. Schu shuts the door to his office and takes a seat. Danielle sits in the chair across from his desk and stares at the ground, determined to stay silent.

"So…" Mr. Schu tries to start, but stops when he catches Danielle's glare. "Um…that was quite a show last week."

"…"

"Anything you want to talk to me about, Danielle?"

"…"

Mr. Schu reclines in his chair and sighs. "Look, I can't pretend last week didn't happen, Danielle. After speaking to Puck and Kurt and seeing your reaction, I can tell that something is wrong here. I know you think I'm the biggest idiot of a teacher ever, but even I can put _that_ together."

"…I don't think you're an idiot." Danielle mumbles finally.

Mr. Schu sighs. "Well thank you, but that's not what we're here to discuss."

"Well I don't know what you want me to say." she snaps.

"The truth."

"The truth? Fine. You want the truth? The truth is I'm exhausted. I work two jobs from the time school ends till about two in the morning, I try to keep all my grades up, I'm in Cheerios, I have to deal the energy draining drama in Glee club, and now I have to worry about getting all of you people off my back." Danielle finishes, not quite screaming, but still louder than Mr. Schu's ever heard her.

Mr. Schu takes a deep breath and puts his face in his hands. Danielle reclines back into her seat, gripping the arms of the chair and trying to even out her breath. It wasn't easy.

Danielle has been having panic attacks all weekend. Ever since Puck and Kurt's little stunt on Friday she hasn't slept a wink. She could barely bring herself to go to work. Her mind was buzzing constantly, trying to figure out what to do. Should she leave? Where would she go? Did she have enough money? What about all that work she did to stay in school? What about truancy laws? Are you exempt from those if you're homeless? Oh, God, would she be homeless? How could she ever go back to McKinley? Should she tell someone?

_Should she tell someone?_

"…Abuse is a very serious thing, Danielle." Mr. Schu says, breaking her out of her reverie.

Danielle fixes him with a tired glare. "I can't-"

"No. _I_ can't let this go."

"There is nothing going on!" she shrieks insistently.

There it is. The lie. Danielle knows that she's just crossed a line and that there is no turning back now. Puck and Kurt would have to be dealt with separately. She's worked too hard for this all to go down the drain now.

_Should I tell someone?_

_No._

_I can't._

"I swear." She emphasizes, finally deciding.

Mr. Schu doesn't look convinced. "…Are you sure?"

"Positive."

The two are silent for a moment, reflecting over what was just said.

"Okay," he breathes finally, but Danielle knows he doesn't really believe her. "I guess...you can go, then."

Danielle nods curtly, stands and walks back out to the choir room, not feeling the least bit relieved.

…

Scene 2: WMHS Hallway

The rest of the day went by painfully slow. As Mr. Schu tried to reign in the terror that was Brian Ryan, the Glee clubbers prepared for their intervention with Danielle. Finn especially took the lead in the process, as Kurt still wasn't convinced that an intervention would be the best idea. Following his advice, they all left Danielle alone, not confronting her or even speaking to her until after the performance. Danielle, however, knew something was up. She could believe the Glee clubber's unwillingness to talk to her but not Puck's and certainly not Kurt's. Neither of them had come near her all week and actually seemed to be avoiding her. Not that she really cared, but she figured that she and Puck were probably through.

Ok, maybe she did care…a little.

Kurt's silence was harder to bear. On one hand, Danielle was angry with him for betraying her trust, but on the other, she really missed having someone to talk to.

She was starting to double-guess herself. Was it really better to go through it alone? Obviously it was better than calling the authorities, but if she had someone to help her…

_But you don't._She reminds herself. _You don't want to be a burden to anyone. There's no reason to ruin their lives, too. They may think that they can help but they really don't understand what that entails…_

At the end of the day, she was starting to become re-accustomed to her solitude and was slowly driving herself insane with worry.

…

On Wednesday, Danielle is standing in the hallway as the school day is about to draw to a close when, suddenly, a familiar head popped out from behind her locker.

"Hey." Kurt says, drawing the word out and looking unsure of himself.

"Hey." Danielle sighs back tiredly.

There is a moment of silence. "…Can we be friends again?" the boy asks.

"I don't know. Are you going to sell me out again?" she replies ruthlessly.

That makes Kurt pause. "I just don't want you to get hurt, by me or anyone else." he says truthfully.

"You can't protect me from everything, Kurt." She tells him.

"I know that. But I'm not going to stop trying." The small boy says, trying to stand taller.

Danielle sighs in exasperation. Kurt looks evenly at her, not flinching away from her penetrating stare.

"I guess…as long as you don't go blabbing about this to anyone ever again…"

Kurt raises a brow.

"Yeah. We can still be friends. But you can forget it if you think I'm confiding in you anymore."

He seems untroubled at the condition and smiles a little (but it looks fake). "Good because there's something I want to show you." He says, grabbing her hand.

"If it's some new outfit you bought me can it wait till after school?"

Kurt laughs. "Nope, this is a different surprise."

"Am I going to like it?"

"…"

"Kurt? That was a joke. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"Yeah, a joke. Right."

_Great,_ Danielle thinks. _What am I getting into now?_

Kurt pulls her all the way to the auditorium. Danielle gives him a questioning look, but he pretends not to see it and drags her inside.

When Danielle realizes what's waiting for her in there, she immediately turns back around and tries to walk out.

"Oh, no you don't!" Kurt screeches, pulling her back around.

"God dammit, Kurt! When are you going to learn?" Danielle growls through gritted teeth. She tries to pull away from him but he had an iron grip on her.

"Please." Kurt gets out desperately, struggling against her. Danielle stops trying to writhe out of his grip and glares at him instead. "Please," he repeats. "They wanted to do this. I tried to warn them but they wouldn't listen. Please, just hear them...us...out."

The Glee kids all stand on the stage, looking at each other and Danielle and Kurt's exchange anxiously.

Danielle shakes her head and looks out into the darkness of the auditorium.

"Fine! Fine!" she snaps, sounding a little hysterical. "You get five minutes. _Five minutes_ of my time before I walk out of here and we never speak of this again. Got it?"

Kurt and the rest of the kids nod their head quickly. Nobody makes a movement.

"…Now you have four minutes fifty five seconds," Danielle warns.

Jumping to life, Kurt runs for the stage as the Glee club sets themselves up for the number. Danielle stomps down the aisle way and takes a seat, waiting impatiently.

Finally the lights dim and the piano starts. As soon as Danielle recognizes the tune, she groans inwardly.

Kurt is in the spotlight for the first solo which surprises Danielle. The rest of the Glee club starts dancing in the shadows of the stage.

_Step one you say we need to talk_

_He walks you say sit down it's just a talk_

_He smiles politely back at you_

_You stare politely right on through_

The lights switch over to Finn, who takes over the tune.

_Some sort of window to your right_

_As he goes left and you stay right_

_Between the lines of fear and blame_

_And you begin to wonder why you came_

Now, the whole Glee club starts singing together in the background as they both belt out the chorus.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life…_

The piano rings loud and clear in the auditorium, Mr. Schu could hear it from outside and now stands in the back of the room, just observing the scene before him. Danielle's face remains stony as Kurt starts the tune again.

_Let him know that you know best_

_Cause after all you do know best_

_Try to slip past his defense_

_Without granting innocence_

Finn steps to the center of the stage, taking Kurt's place.

_Lay down a list of what is wrong_

_The things you've told him all along_

_And pray to God, he hears you_

_And pray to God, he hears you_

The two sing the chorus together, whilst moving with the rest of the club.

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life…_

_How to save a life…_

Finally, the Glee club finishes together and the lights go on, making the stage look almost blue.

_How to save a life._

_Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend_

_Somewhere along in the bitterness_

_And I would have stayed up with you all night_

_Had I known how to save a life_

_How to save a life…_

_How to save a life_

At the end if the performance, Mr. Schu leaves the room quietly as the kids catch their breath.

Danielle remains silent. She rests her head on her fist and drums her finger on the chair, giving away her anxiety.

"Well?" Mercedes asks, stepping forward and looking expectantly at Danielle.

Danielle always knew she was a no-nonsense, get-right-to-the-point-or-get-out kind of girl. It was one of her favorite things about Mercedes.

She just shrugs. "Well, what?"

"That song was meant to express how helpless we feel when we're around you, Danielle." Rachel jumps in. "I mean, we can feel your pain, but you won't let anyone help you."

"And that hurts." Kurt finishes.

Now, Danielle's eyes burn and she has trouble keeping her voice level. "Oh, excuse me, but none of you even gave me a second thought until big-mouth over there-" she points at Puck, "-decided to make a big deal out of this." Danielle scoffs. "You say you can "feel my pain"? That's a joke. You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Okay, fine. You're right, we have no idea what is going on with you because you _won't tell us_. We want to help you! So, I'll ask again, what exactly is going on with you?" Mercedes asks, sounding a little ticked off, "'Cause for some reason you got these two-" she gestures to Kurt and Puck "-thinking that you get beat on. I've never seen you with a single bruise. So, who's lying here?"

"Mercedes," Kurt starts, sounding angry "I'm not-"

"No." Danielle cuts in. "You're right. One of us is lying. And it's not them. It's me."

She realizes now that there's no point in hiding anymore. Better just give them a PG version and they'll leave her alone. Hopefully, they won't go to any teachers about this, if she plays it right.

"Yeah, my home life isn't the best." She starts, and the Glee club listens to her intently. "My dad...he's a loser, okay? It's just me and him on our own and sometimes he gets..." Danielle closes her eyes and represses a shudder. "You can figure out the rest." Then she stands taller and looks them each in the eye, one by one. "But I can handle it _on my own_."

"You're kidding, right?" Finn asks. "We're supposed to just let you stay with that creep? We should be calling the cops or-or-"

"No!" Danielle yells, making everyone jump. She takes a breath and lowers her voice. "No. You can't call the cops or tell any teachers. I won't let you. You have no idea how hard I've worked to stay where I am. Yes, it sucks but in the end it's where I need to be."

"What are you-" Mercedes starts, but Danielle cuts her off.

"Just hear me out. Say I turn in my dad and I get out of my hell-hole of a home. Honestly, that part sounds fan-friggin-tastic to me. I don't like torturing myself or anything like that. But do you know what happens to kids who get taken away from their parents?"

The kids shake their heads, never considering what would happen to Danielle once she got out of her house.

"I do. They get sent to foster homes or child services or something like that. And then their futures are constantly in jeopardy. You think you can get a decent education in a foster home?" she shakes her head. "I'm not taking my chances. I need to get out of here, I won't deny that, but I only have to get through three more years until I graduate and am off to college. So again, yes, it sucks, but it's my reality and I'm dealing with it. I don't need you intervening on my behalf so you can feel better about yourselves; I've been on my own practically my whole life. I'm used to it. So back off." She finishes and then stands up. "Glad we could have this talk."

Just as she starts to walk away, a deep voice calls out to her.

"What if you didn't have to get taken away?" Finn asks. "What if we could give you a place to live?"

Danielle sighs and turns around. "There's no guarantee that I'd be able to stay. They can take me wherever they want and since I have no idea where my mother is…" she drifts off and shakes her head. "I've thought about this, believe me. This is the only way."

"So you won't even _try_ to make this better because you don't want to take a chance?" Puck takes over.

Danielle bristles. "Not when my future is on the line."

"But what about _now_?" he presses.

"_Now_ isn't as important as later!"

Now, he is mad. "Why are you letting yourself suffer?!" he yells at her.

Something in Danielle snaps. "Because life _is_ suffering, Puck! You of all people should know that!" she screeches, her voice breaking a little.

The room is silent save for Danielle and Puck's heavy breathing.

After a few awkward moments, Quinn clambers down from the stage and slowly walks up to Danielle. The auburn haired girl looks close to tears and refuses to look at her, but Quinn gently takes her hand and drops a small object into it.

"Here, we all pitched in and bought it for you." the blonde says softly as Danielle examines the small cell phone Quinn dropped in her hand. "It's not one of the fancy ones, but all of our numbers are in there if you need us. Whenever you need a place to stay or something, just give us a call."

Danielle is moved beyond words. "Quinn, I can't-"

"Yes. You can." Then, Quinn puts her arms around Danielle and hugs her. Danielle stiffens, but Quinn doesn't pull away. "I know what it's like, constantly worrying about your future. But if you don't take care of yourself now, the future isn't even a possibility." She pulls back and looks Danielle in the eyes. "We all know you're strong and tough and brave, but you really can't take on the world on your own. Trust me." She says, patting her pregnant belly, "I know. I don't know what I'd be doing right now if it wasn't for all the support I got."

Danielle opens her mouth, closes it. "I…I'm not sure what to do anymore." She whispers honestly, hoping only Quinn can hear her. She raises her voice. "I can't…I can't be a burden. I won't be."

"Danielle..." Kurt sighs, walking towards the two girls. "How many times have I told you? You're not a burden. You're my best friend. I _want_ to take care of you. We _want_ to help you."

Danielle sniffles, but no tears fall. "I-I need some time. To…take this all in." She starts walking backwards. "Thanks for the phone. I have to go." Then she turns and practically runs away.

A pair of heavy boots slam on the stage boards and Kurt immediately puts his arm out, stopping Puck in his tracks. "Let her go." he says. "We said our piece. She needs some time to make her choice."

The Glee clubbers look at each other silently, trying to find comfort in each other's gazes. But one glance at Puck's burning gaze made them feel hopeless and tired all over again.

…

Time didn't stop for Danielle. As she tried to find a solution to her extremely messed-up situation, the days continued to fly by. Brian Ryan's reign of terror came and went and eventually the Glee kids started acting like themselves again. Like before, very few of them approached Danielle though they were all watching her from the corners of their eyes. Actually, the only people that would talk to Danielle were Kurt and, surprisingly, Quinn and Finn. Thankfully, none of them pressured Danielle into making a decision, they just kept her company in school and made sure she was taking care of herself. The only real loss so far was Puck.

Though he never officially said that he and Danielle had broken up, he didn't confirm that they were still together either. Like before, he seemed to be carefully avoiding Danielle as best he could. Danielle understood, though. It was just too hard for him to be around her, with her being damaged goods and all. She couldn't blame him for trying to get away from her.

She still missed him though.

Scene 3: Moretti household

By the end of the school week Danielle is no closer to making a choice and goes home after work feeling more exhausted than ever.

She turns her house key in the lock and shoves her entire body against the door, forcing it open. Once inside the dark house, she slams the door shut to prevent any more of the chilly air from getting inside. She takes the bags of groceries she bought to the tiny kitchen and puts them away, careful to make as little noise as possible. In the next room, the television lets off a blue-ish light and Danielle can barely make out the shape of her father on the torn recliner. He is snoring soundly and there is a mound of empty bottles beside the chair.

_Thank God._Danielle thinks, glad she didn't wake him up.

After everything is in its place, she starts walking back to her small room. She's almost to the door when she trips over a pair of old boots and falls into a small table with a lamp on it. Danielle falls hard, hurting her wrist and the table turns over, making the lamp shatter on the floor. Her father wakes up with a start.

_Shitshitshitshit._

"What the hell is goin' on?" he father yells, slurring a little. He gets up and stalks over to where Danielle lays on the floor.

Danielle hastily gets up. "Nothing, I just tripped-"

"You broke the fuckin' light!" He towers over her, looking mad in the blue light.

"I'll get a new one!" Danielle assures him. Anything to appease him.

"An' you expect _me_ to pay for this?" The large man walks over and grabs Danielle by her hair, yanking hard.

"No, no!" Danielle says through clenched teeth. "I said I'll take care of it!"

"Dammit girl, when are you gonna stop bein' such an idiot." He says throwing her aside into the broken shards on the floor. Danielle hisses in pain when the pieces cut into her hands.

"Now clean this up, God-dammit-or you'll be sorry!" her father hollers.

"I will…I will…" Danielle murmurs, trying to ignore the pain in her scalp and hands.

He snorts in acknowledgment and lumbers back to his room, slamming the door shut.

Danielle leans back against the wall, clutching her hands into her T-shirt. She tries to slow her heartbeat.

_He's gone...it's over...he's done._

It's the mantra she's been repeating over and over again for three years.

Slowly, she stands up and makes her way into the bathroom. She flicks on the light and flinches when she sees her reflection.

The girl in the mirror looks thin, gaunt even. Her hair hangs loose and looks like dark straw. She is pale as a ghost and her eyes are red and puffy.

Danielle turns on the water and washes her hands before wiping the tears from her face.

She isn't crying because she is sad. She realizes that, tonight at least, she is safe. Her father is done for the day and won't acknowledge her presence for the rest of the weekend.

_But what about next weekend?_

_Or the weekend after that?_

_What will the future bring?_

Danielle looks at her reflection again and sees the hopelessness in her eyes. She suddenly looks older and more…like her mother.

The thought of Danielle being stuck in this house for any much longer now seems unbearable. A few days ago, it would have just been another reality, another obstacle to face. But now she knows that there are other options, viable options, not just fantasies. Suddenly, the idea of taking a risk (though the stakes are high) seems much better than staying in this house for one more minute. Even if it isn't the easier choice.

Slowly, Danielle's breathing returns to normal and her face is set with resolution. She turns off the water and stalks out of the bathroom and into her dark room, pulling an old duffel bag from under her bed and fishing the cell phone Quinn gave her from her pocket.

She is getting out of there.

…

"…Hello?"

"Kurt? It's-"

"Danielle! What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm…" she pauses. Sighs. "No. No, Kurt I'm not." There is a moment of silence. "…Kurt, I need a favor." Danielle's throat is constricting.

"Anything, sweetie." Kurt says, gently. "I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

"I left." She whispers.

"…You left? What do you mean? You didn't run away did you?! Please tell me your still in Lima, just please."

"No, I left…my house."

"…"

"I'm out front." She mumbles, a little embarrassed.

Suddenly the call drops off and Danielle can see all the lights in the Hummel residence flicker on. She sighs as Kurt runs out the door in his bathrobe and up to her open car window.

"You-" he pants, looking in Danielle's car for any bags as evidence to her claim.

"Yeah." She affirms as Kurt's eyes catch her dark duffel bags shoved under the passenger seat.

Kurt's eyes light up. He pulls the passenger door open, leans across the seat and engulfs Danielle in a warm, tight embrace. Danielle hugs his bony shoulders automatically, but then grips her friends hard, trying to hold in her tears of relief.

After a few moments they pull apart and Kurt looks tearfully at her. "Oh! I'm so sorry! You must be exhausted. Here," he says, grabbing both of the duffels. "You can take the spare room. For some reason my dad made his old office into a bedroom. I guess he knew you were coming." Kurt jokes.

"Does he know?" Danielle asks, getting out of her car and walks up to the big house with Kurt. She can see Burt standing in the doorway, watching the two without a hint of surprise on his face. "About…my dad?"

"Yes." Kurt confirms, quietly. "You have no idea how much convincing it keep him from charging down the Lima Heights to track you down and get you out of there."

Danielle's breath is stolen from her. She only met Burt a few times and he seemed to like her, but his protectiveness towards her was strange. She wasn't used to something like that.

"Well…thank you." She says, before opening walking in the doorway and holding the door open for Kurt. She wasn't sure what the appropriate response to that was.

"Hey, Danielle." Burt greets. Like Kurt, he's also in a bathrobe, but his is much less…fashionable. And older.

"Hi, Mr. Hummel." Danielle murmurs, shyly.

"Dad, Danielle needs a place to stay." Kurt says, getting right to the point. Burt looks down at Danielle's duffel bags and nods.

"Sure." He says. "She can have the spare room upstairs." He turns to Danielle. "You can stay as long as you want," he tells her gruffly, but kindly.

"Thank you," Danielle says gratefully.

The trio stands in the hallway for a moment, not knowing what to do next.

"I bet you're, exhausted." Burt finally says. "Kurt, you should take her to her room."

Kurt nods enthusiastically, takes Danielle's hand and starts leading her upstairs.

"Danielle…what?" Kurt looks down at his hand and immediately jumps back at the sight of blood. "Ah-ah!" he exclaims.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry! I thought I stopped the bleeding!" Danielle apologizes, horrified.

"It's...it's okay." Kurt says, dropping Danielle's bags. "It's not a lot. I'll just go…wash it off." Kurt says, looking sorry that he upset Danielle but also slightly mortified at the blood on his hand.

"It's okay Kurt, I'll help Danielle, here." Burt says, sending his son off and guiding Danielle to the kitchen.

…

Danielle runs her hands under cold water while Burt searches for bandages.

"I'm so, so sorry." She keeps repeating, feeling ashamed and stupid.

"Hey, don't worry 'bout it." Burt says. "Everyone bleeds." He brings over the box of bandages and turns the water off. "Let me see." he says. Danielle holds out her hands, exposing the cuts she got from the broken lamp. Burt reels back a little. "Woah."

"They look worse than they are." Danielle mumbles.

"What happened?" Burt asks, starting to wrap her hands. Danielle flinches away from contact and Burt stops, simply handing her the bandages. Grateful, she starts wrapping them herself.

"Nothing, I fe-" Danielle stops herself, realizing that she doesn't have to lie anymore. "He pushed me into a lamp."

Burt stiffens, his mouth twisting. He knows exactly what she means. "Well. You don't have to worry about that anymore."

"Are you kidding?" Danielle jokes. "Now I'm terrified. What if I trip and break a lamp here! Knowing Kurt it probably cost as much as my car!"

Burt lets out a tense chuckle as Kurt enters the kitchen.

"I'll have you know that my eye for sales is nearly as good as my eye for fashion. There is not a single lamp here that was over fifty dollars." He says petulantly, making Burt and Danielle laugh again.

Kurt smiles warmly at Danielle. "C'mon, let's get you to a decent bed."

Danielle nods and gets up to leave. Before exiting the kitchen, she turns around. "Thank you, Mr. Hummel."

"Hey, none of that 'Mr. Hummel' stuff here. Call me Burt." He says, smiling at her in encouragement.

She grins. "Okay. Thanks Burt." She corrects herself as Kurt leads her out of the room, impatiently.

"Goodnight, Danielle." Burt says after her.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	9. Chapter 9

_I do not own glee. _

**1:9 Breathe **

Scene 1: Hummel House

Afternoon sunlight streams in from a large window, shining down on a small bed across the room. Danielle sleeps in her little sanctuary peacefully, her short, auburn hair spread across the white pillow. She is breathing lightly, and her mouth opened into a little 'o'. On the floor lay a pair of black converse and her skinny jeans which she discarded the night before.

Suddenly, the door to the small room creaks opened and a brunette boy pops his head into the room. Kurt has his hand covering his eyes, but peeks through his fingers to see that his ward is still sleeping. The corners of her mouth twitch up at the sight.

She looks so peaceful…but so still very tired. She has been asleep for almost fourteen hours and Kurt is starting to worry, despite his father's reassurances that Danielle just needed rest.

"You leave her be." he had commanded his son over breakfast. "That poor girl probably hasn't gotten any decent sleep in a long time."

Kurt agreed, of course; he knew exactly how exhausted Danielle was. Still, he checks on her every hour to make sure she doesn't do anything stupid like try to run away. He knows she wouldn't go home. Not now, anyway. However, the thought of her leaving Lima wasn't that far-fetched. Danielle was a very strong, independent girl with clear ambitions of getting out of this cow-town and no sense of self-preservation.

They were a few of the many things Kurt loved about her.

After one more scan around the room, Kurt recognizes that Danielle is still safe and sound and quietly leaves.

Danielle stirs a little at the 'click' the door makes and opens her eyes, blinking against the sunlight.

The first thing she realizes is that she is wearing only her underwear and a T-shirt; the second, that she is in an unfamiliar place; the third, that, despite the first and second thing, she feels _safe_.

It was the best feeling in the whole world.

Danielle rolls over, reburying her head in the soft pillows.

_Well, other than how it feels kissing Puck, _her half-conscious self thinks.

Danielle smiles to herself and falls back into her deep slumber, allowing herself some more time to avoid reality.

…

The next week goes by in a blur. Danielle returns to school that Monday and almost all of the Glee kids notices a change in her, though they are wary to ask her about it. Nobody at McKinley besides Kurt knows about her new living situation. Danielle made him swear not to tell anyone about it in case word spread to the authorities. Kurt, predictably, was a little miffed, but understood her reasoning.

To Danielle, everything seems easier, lighter, than it did before. She is even able to go to work regularly, though Kurt has to drive her. Ever since Burt found out that she didn't actually have a license, Danielle had been chauffeured everywhere by her friend and new roommate. He took her to and from school with him and to her work without a single complaint. Danielle really appreciated it, but she missed the freedom her car gave her. Burt, meanwhile, still had no idea about her job at the club which Danielle didn't feel secure enough to quit yet.

Other than those minor setbacks, she is getting on fine in her new living conditions. It's getting less and less awkward living with the Hummel's every day and Danielle has found that she actually enjoys being around them.

After a few days, Burt, Kurt and Danielle had a meeting at dinner to discuss what the future holds for them.

Over grilled chicken, mashed potatoes and peas, Burt and Kurt both insisted that Danielle stay with them for as long as she needs. Though Kurt couldn't see that far, Burt was thinking of holding on to Danielle until she left for college and was unwilling to just let her go out into the world on her own.

"We just have to be careful." Danielle warns them. "If child services or someone finds out I'm living here, they could take me away."

"_Please_, Danielle, we're the most stable family you're going to find." Kurt says, unconcernedly, moving his peas far away from his potatoes. "They wouldn't take you away from us if you wanted to stay."

"No, Kurt. They could." Burt corrects his son. "Well…the chances of them doing it are small, but they have the power to take her wherever they want." Danielle nods in agreement.

"Even back to her dad?" Kurt asks, his brows raised and his fork halfway to his mouth.

Danielle snorts. "Not likely. I've got some stories I can share with them and hopefully land him in jail."

Burt chews his food silently, deep in thought. After another moment, he starts; "I think the best thing to do is just keep this on the down low for now." he tells the two teens. "Just for now. Then we can figure out what to do next." He turns to Danielle, "Assuming, of course, that you want to stay here?"

Danielle nods, staring down at her plate to avoid eye contact, but she hears Kurt give a little 'squee!' that makes her grin.

She has no intention of going anywhere just yet. This taste of freedom made an imprint on her that was irremediable and she knew she would never be able to go back to where she came from. Still, though Danielle wasn't comfortable with the prospect of staying at the Hummel's long-term quite yet, the thought of leaving the Hummel's was very...unappealing.

"There's something else." She starts, focusing their attention back on her. "I want to pay rent."

Simultaneously, Burt and Kurt immediately argued back.

"No. No, absolutely not."

"Danielle, come _on_, you don't have to do that!"

"Really," She argues, trying to sound resolute. "I want to-"

"Absolutely not." Burt repeats sharply. "You wanna live under my roof, you do as I say. And I say you ain't paying me a dime for staying here. I mean it." he warns, seeing Danielle roll her eyes.

"Why not? I'm not some long lost relative or an orphan. You don't owe anything to me. I _want_ to earn my stay, to contribute."

"Nope." Burt says, shaking his head and stuffing more peas into his mouth. "You don't have to do anything. You've had enough seriousness in your life. Now, we're gonna take care of you, whether you like it or not." Burt stands up and takes his plate to the counter, still finishing his meal. "Everyone deserves the chance to be a kid." He says, his voice a little softer, but not patronizing. "The chance to not have to worry about anyone but themselves and let other people take care of them. Now it's your turn."

Danielle is speechless. Burt's concern and protectiveness of her had only grown since she'd been here. It was nice, but she still wasn't sure how to respond to it.

Meanwhile Kurt watches the discussion silently; a faint look of disgust on his face at his father's eating habits.

"You know," Burt starts after a moment. "If you really want to help, you could give me a hand with these dishes."

Danielle and Kurt both jump up from their seats to help him out.

After a few more brief arguments and pointed comments, Danielle and Burt finally come to a compromise. Danielle would not pay rent. Instead, she would split up the chores with Kurt (such as cooking, cleaning, yard work and occasionally helping out in Burt's garage) and in return would receive full run of the house. This included the kitchen, so long as she didn't eat them out of house and home (she'd rolled her eyes at that one), the laundry room, her own bedroom, and a shared bathroom with Kurt.

To a girl who'd only ever bought microwavable meals and chips, used an unreliable Laundromat, and shared a room with her sister more than half her life, the prospect of having access to such things was very overwhelming. Kurt assured her that he'd teach her how to be "domesticated", which in turn made Danielle smack him lightly.

So, no, things weren't perfect, but they were good. And that was more than Danielle could have hoped for.

Scene 3: Choir Room

Then next Monday, Danielle is sitting in the choir room alone, quietly strumming a guitar and relaxing. Even though Puck has been avoiding her, she hasn't given up learning how to play. On the contrary, without him distracting her, Danielle is actually learning a lot faster. She can already play through parts of some songs Puck tried teaching her; she might even teach herself to read music so she can look up more songs online. Once cheer season ended, of course. Life was still a little too busy to allow a lot of free time. Luckily, she and Kurt were in the same boat so he wouldn't be pressuring her to waste time hanging around with him any time soon, either.

Danielle started a new tune, 'Blackbird' by the Beatles just as the door creaked open. She stopped strumming and turned in her seat, expecting to see Kurt or maybe Quinn standing in the doorway.

It wasn't either of them.

It was Puck.

Danielle quickly tried to replace her shock with a calm persona.

"Hey." She says, her voice soft from disuse.

"Hey." He replies, staring at her a little incredulously.

She looked the same. Her face was the same, her eyes were the same, her legs arms and body were the same, but Puck still didn't totally recognize the girl in front of him.

She seemed more at ease. Definitely healthier. Her skin was glowing and the bags under her eyes were gone. She was obviously more comfortable and happier.

_Is it possible? Did she really…_

"So," Puck starts, deciding to play it cool for awhile. He sits next to her. "What's up?"

Danielle chuckles quietly. "So you basically ignore me for two weeks and then you ask 'what's up'? Like nothing's happened?"

"Well you went back to being friends with Kurt, so I figured you can't possibly be mad at me anymore." He shrugs.

"But that's not why you didn't come near me, is it?" Danielle counters, eyeing him knowingly.

Puck pauses, looks down, then looks back up at her. "Look, I'm sorry. Okay? I'm sorry for ignoring you. But that's it. I don't regret anything else."

She nods. "I know you don't. And…actually…" she pauses, then leans over and kisses him. It's a chaste kiss, short and sweet. But it's still nice.

She leans back into her seat a second later. "Thank you, Puck. For everything. I know I was being…difficult for awhile, but that storm has passed, mostly because of what you did." She grins. "So thanks."

Puck is in shock. "So…you mean…" he looks at her incredulously, putting the puzzle together."You left, didn't you?" he asks.

Danielle's mouth turns up at the corners.

"Oh, my God, you did leave didn't you? You got away from that bastard! Ha!" Puck leans over and pulls Danielle into a big hug, holding her close to him. "Oh, thank God. I didn't think I'd be able to take it much longer."

"What us not being able to make out in school?" Danielle jokes.

"That too." He replies without missing a beat. He pulls back. "So…so you're okay? You don't need a place to stay? 'Cause Quinn isn't at my place anymore and if we lived together, we could sneak-"

"No, no, no. I have a place." Danielle interrupts him, blushing.

"You mean like an apartment? That's even better! No one to bother us!"

Danielle sighs. "No it's not my own place. But I can't tell you where it is exactly."

"Why?"

"Just to be safe. I trust you…well, no that's a lie. But if I could tell anyone where it is, it'd be you." She tells him earnestly.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Puck thinks about it for a moment, then shrugs. "Okay, then. Good enough for me. Wait-wait a second. You don't trust me? Really?"

"Don't take it personally. I don't trust anyone." _Except Kurt_, she amends mentally.

"Well, geez." he says, running his fingers over Danielle's leg. "I just thought I'd be special. You know, because I am your boyfriend and all…"

"Are you?" Danielle asks, quirking her brows. She didn't think Puck wanted to be with her after everything. Now that he does, she doesn't know how to react. There are a lot of things that need to be considered.

"Am I?" he asks, looking a little sheepish.

Danielle stares into his dark eyes, wondering if he was serious. Did he really want her back after everything? Did she want to take him back?

Just then the bell rings, bringing the pair back to Earth.

"…Maybe." She finally says uncertainly, getting up.

Puck sighs in frustration. "You're gonna be the death of me, Moretti. You know that?"

Danielle smiles. "Maybe you should just kill me now and save yourself the pain." She says sarcastically.

"Seems like the better option right now." Puck grumbles.

Daniele rolls her eyes at his dramatics and pulls him to his feet. "C'mon. Let's go to class." she says.

And for once Puck complies.

Scene 4: WMHS hallway

At approximately 1:00 pm that day (almost two hours before school ends), a man walks though the main entrance and into the halls of William McKinley High School. He doesn't blend in with the student body at all. He is of average height, and obviously not a student. His features suggest that he might have been handsome at one point, but now looks aged and sloppy with dark stubble on his face. Maybe in his late thirties. The fluorescent lights shine off his inky black curls and puts a glint in his dark eyes.

He walks a little unsteadily down the hall, his looking only on the path straight in front of him. Some of the older girls stop to watch him pass by, but he pays no attention to them. His sights are set for one girl only.

_His_ girl. His little brat.

_There…there she is._

She is standing at her locker with her back to him. He's only seen her in that uniform a few times and her hair has changed recently, but it's her all right. There's only two other women in this world he'd be able to recognize as well as her and they were long gone.

_Who did she think she was leaving him, too? And stealing from him on top of that?_

With that thought, a burst of anger flooded the man. He quickens his pace and reached out for the girl. Somehow, she must have felt him coming and turns to face him before he can touch her.

And the look in her eyes, the fear, the shock, the pain…he relished it.

She deserved it. All of it. Just like her whore mother and ungrateful sister.

"Dad." She says, it sounds like her breath was stolen from her.

He just looks at her, his dark brow knitted together and his mouth set in a hard line.

Then, he grabs her.

…

"Where the hell have you been!? You stole my fuckin' car!" he screams, gripping Danielle by her arms. Her hands are in fists at her sides.

Danielle's jaw is tense and she is obviously in pain, but she manages to get out, "Dad, go home. You're drunk. The police are gonna arrest you if you don't go home." She tries being reasonable with him, tries not to let her inner panic show. But it's still there, in her eyes. And he sees it.

"Is that a threat?" her father yells. The students in the hallway are now transfixed on the exchange. Most are backing away, a few look like they want to jump in and help. "Are you threatening me, you little bitch?!" He throws her against the lockers, screaming in her face. Then, he puts his arm against her throat, choking her.

Danielle automatically reaches up and starts pulling against his arm, trying to relieve the pressure on her throat. It won't budge. She breathes out hard. "Dad. Dad, please. Please…" she chokes.

"You fucking whore! Who do you think you are?!" He slams his arm against her throat once then pulls away. She collapses at his feet, choking and sputtering.

Now people are running. Some are screaming. Some still can't move, transfixed in shock.

No one is coming to her rescue.

"You. Little. Whore!" the man grunts, enunciating each word with a sharp kick to his daughter's stomach.

"Euch!" Danielle gags. The wind is knocked out of her. She tries to protect her stomach with her arm, but then feels a sharp pain in her wrist. "Ah!" she screams once, but the kicks keep coming as her father yells obscenities at her and ignores her pleas.

_Just breathe._ She thinks, going to her automatic response to these situations. _It'll be over soon._

But it isn't and the kicks are getting more viscous.

_This should be done by now._ She thinks through the pain, _he's never gone on for this long._

_He's going to kill me._She realizes. _There's no use. He's going to kill me._

She slowly moves her arm out to the side and just lies there, waiting for it to be over.

_I give up…_

"What the hell?!" screams a familiar voice down the hall.

_Finn?_

Danielle turns her head up just a little and sees Finn and Puck standing down the hall, matching expressions of horror on their faces.

_Puck…_she thinks.

Then there is a sharp pain in her jaw and everything goes black.

…

"What the hell?!" Finn screams.

Puck can't say anything. Can't do anything. He is frozen.

An older guy is standing in the hallway, screaming. And Danielle is lying on the ground, not moving. And he is kicking her, hard.

She's not moving, he's not stopping.

Then, Danielle looks up for an instant and catches Puck's eye and he can breathe again…

…before a heavy boot kicks her square in the jaw.

Puck's vision goes red and everything goes in slow motion.

_Danielle's head hitting the back of the lockers then rolling on the white floor, blood seeping from it._

_The man's lips starting to turn up in a satisfied smirk as he looks down at his daughter._

_Finn charging forward, intent on getting to the man, wanting to end all of this._

_Puck running right in front of Finn, ready to kill the man who hurt her, over and over again since the day she was born._

The collision brings everything back to speed. Puck tackles the man down and starts wailing on him. Really hitting him. He doesn't even care where his fist connects so long as it causes the man pain.

After what feels like a second, Puck feels someone pulling him away.

"No, no!" he grunts.

"Puck! Calm down."

Puck stops. It's Mr. Schu. He looks scared and is breathing hard, which immediately clears Puck's head.

"Finn and I will handle him, you check on Danielle." He tells the boy, then rushes to help Finn hold down the man. But the man isn't struggling. Not anymore. Instead, he lies on the ground staring straight up at the ceiling, a blank expression on his bloodied mess of a face.

But Puck doesn't care about him anymore. He rushes to Danielle's side. When he still sees red, he thinks that maybe his rush isn't over yet and tries to calm down.

Then he realizes that the red is Danielle's blood.

"Oh, God…" he whispers, voice breaking.

Puck leans over her and puts his arm under her head, protecting it from the hard floor. Her face looks calm, relaxed…dead.

"Oh, God. Oh, God, please, no."

He leans down to check her pulse. It's still beating and he can breathe again. But she's still losing blood. A lot of blood. He can feel it, wet and sticky, on the arm that is supporting her head.

"Somebody call an ambulance!" he bellows. "We need to get to a hospital!"

Puck turns around for an instant and sees Finn and Mr. Schu both with their mouths wide open and a shocked look in their eyes. Seeing Puck's wild gaze, Mr. Schu immediately takes out his cell phone and dials 911. Just behind them, he spots a small brunette boy and a black girl running towards him. The boy is screaming.

"_Danielle! Danielle!_"

Puck tears his gaze away from them and looks down over the auburn haired girl. Her dark freckles stand out against her quickly paling skin and her hair is matted with blood. With his free had, he pulls a lock of dark hair away from her face. Then he reaches down and grabs her limp hand, pulling it towards his chest.

_Please, Danielle._ He thinks, _just keep breathing. Stay with me, Nell. Please._

_Just breathe._

_..._

**_REVIEW!_**


	10. Chapter 10

_I do not own glee. Songs are"The Dark I Know Well" from Spring Awakening and "She Will Be Loved" by Maroon 5._

"**She Will Be Loved"**

Scene 1: WMHS

"_Maybe you should just kill me now and save yourself the pain."_

She said it so callously, like it meant nothing, all the while smiling at him so wide that her nose scrunched a little. Puck found it endearing, though he'd never tell her that. Instead he scoffed at her.

"_Seems like the better option right now."_

That was the last thing he'd said to her. It could have very well off been the last thing he'd ever say to her.

Puck just thanked God that it wouldn't be. That he was getting another chance at making things right.

It's been four days since he last saw Danielle; images from _that day_ constantly flashed across his mind, torturing him over and over.

And when all he could do is wait, those moments seem so important, so vital in making things right.

…

When the paramedics finally come, Puck watches numbly as they load Danielle's limp form onto the stretcher.

In another world, he can hear Mr. Schu and the paramedics commanding the students to exit the scene. Mercedes and Kurt both stay, sniffling quietly as Finn tries to convince them that everything is going to be all right.

A new voice stands out from the pandemonium, but it sounds distant. Almost as if Puck's eardrums had been blown out.

"Sir?" the voice repeats. Puck blinks. A young, mustached man in a blue shirt waves his hand in front of Puck's face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Puck says, breaking out of his stupor.

"I asked if you could let go of her now." The man eyes Puck's and Danielle's entwined hands. "We're taking her to the hospital."

"Yeah." Puck says, immediately letting go of her hand. It drops down onto the floor with a 'thud' and the paramedic and Puck both wince.

"Sorry." Puck whispers to her.

Then, the man and a few others lift Danielle onto a stretcher and take off rolling down the hallway. Puck stands there for a moment still not totally there, before he jumps to a start and takes off after them.

"Puck?" Mr. Schu asks, uncertainly, but the boy ignores him. "Puck! Wait a second, get back here."

Puck runs right behind the EMT's, ignoring Mr. Schu's pleas. He can't leave her. Not now.

As he jogs, he tries telling the mustached man that he wants to go to the hospital with her.

"Are you family?" a different, older man asks, cocking a brow at Puck disbelievingly.

"I have to stay with her," he insists, ignoring the question. "I'm all she's got."

"You are not!" screeches a slightly hoarse voice behind him.

Puck looks over his shoulder to see Kurt jogging along right behind him. He hadn't even noticed that the small boy was following them.

Kurt's face is wet with tears and his lower lip is quivering, but his eyes glitter with determination as he glares at Puck.

"I'm the one that's going with her, not you." he insists, looking to the EMT's for help.

"Are _you_ family?" the older man asks Kurt.

"She lives with me." he replies. "She doesn't have a family. My dad and I take care of her."

Neither boy sees the EMT's shocked expressions because Puck immediately stops in his tracks and whirls around to face Kurt. "That's a load of bull." he snarls at the smaller boy.

Kurt skids to halt, too, getting on his toes to look the taller boy in the eye. "It most certainly is not! She ran away from home and has been staying with us for almost a week now!"

Puck's mouth drops open in shock. _So that's where she's been living…_

"I'm going and that's final." Kurt declares, starting to go around Puck and towards the waiting EMT's.

"Wait a second." Puck sputters, grabbing Kurt's shoulder. Kurt whips around and his nostrils flare-

"Look, we gotta get her outta here. You guys have cars right?" a female paramedic shouts in a commanding tone. Both boys nod grudgingly. "Good. We're leaving." The woman says curtly. And with that, they roll Danielle away.

Puck takes the opportunity to try to get around Kurt and run towards the parking lot, but Kurt jumps onto his back, slowing him down.

"Ok! Ok! Ok!" Puck shouts, trying to get the boy off him. Kurt jumps down and the two stand and face each other, breathing hard.

Puck keeps looking over Kurt's shoulder, watching the paramedics roll away with his girl.

"Look, I'll take care of her I promise." he says distractedly, trying to edge his way around Kurt.

"That's not enough." Kurt shakes his head. His usually perfect hair is disheveled and his pale skin is tinged red.

"I need to make sure she's okay." Puck pleads with the boy, almost desperately.

"_God_, Puckerman, his isn't about you!" Kurt screeches, throwing his hands in the air.

The boys glare at each other unyieldingly, eyes glittering with hatred for standing in each other's way.

"There's more to this than you know." Kurt insists. "What exactly are you planning on doing once you get there?" he demands.

Puck just keeps glaring at him, trying (and failing) to think of a response.

"Face it, Puckerman, you can't help her like I can. All you did was hinder me from being with her on that ambulance." He pauses. "What if she wakes up and freaks out with nobody there?" he frets, making Puck freeze. "You know she doesn't like having people touch her. She's going to be so scared…"

The idea takes over Puck's brain. _He can see it now. Those people with masks working over Danielle, her waking up and screaming for help, for a familiar face…_

He ducks his head, a little ashamed, but still not backing down.

Soon, Kurt's pained expression melts into something softer. "I need to go with her; I'm the only one that can help her." he tries to convince the taller boy. He pauses, biting his lip. "I'll keep you updated on what's going on. I'll keep my phone on me at all times and I'll text you every little thing that happens. I promise."

Puck pauses, considering. After a minute, he nods and steps aside, letting Kurt go.

"Thank you." the small boy breathes, then takes off down the hallway, racing to his car.

Puck watches him disappear around the corner, then slowly meanders in the opposite direction, not really sure where to go or what to do next.

…

Fortunately, Kurt kept good on his word and let Puck know about Danielle's status at all hours of the day for the rest of the week. His texts leave a lot to be said, but Puck is grateful for the effort.

_Mon. 2:10 pm_ _I'm here._ _I just saw them pull her out of the ambulance. It didn't look like she woke up on the ride. Hopefully that's a good thing._

_Mon. 2:39 pm__ She's in surgery with the doctors now. They told me that she needed stitches but I don't know anything else. My dad just arrived. We're on standby._

_Mon: 4:40 pm__ She's out of surgery. They say everything went fine. Besides the stitches, they think she has a concussion, some cracked ribs and a broken wrist. They put her in her own room due to her…situation. We'll be able to see her in a bit. _

_Mon. 4:55 pm__ We're in the room with her now. She's still asleep from the drugs but is breathing normally. The doctors say she's in a stable condition. She looks awful, but they say she'll be okay. She's going to be okay._

_Mon. 5:23 pm__ The police are here. _

_Mon. 5:33 pm__ My dad is talking with the police now. I already told them what I knew. Do you have anything to add?_

_Mon. 5:46 pm__ The cops chuckled at your 'reinstating the death penalty' joke._

_Mon. 5:58 pm__ The officers said that her dad is under custody. Apparently he has a record of domestic violence, public drunkenness and a couple other things. After Danielle wakes up they'll want to talk to her. I hope she opens up…_

_Mon 10:47 pm__ My dad and I are staying the night with her. She was just semi-awake, but very tired and cranky. The doctors won't let her sleep for more than two hours at a time now because of the concussion. So I'm supposed to poke her awake and make sure she opens her eyes and cusses me out. It's going to be a long night._

_Tues. 1:08 am__ A note for future notice: she does _not_ like to be poked awake. Almost ripped my arm off. And she didn't even apologize!_

_Tues. 10:23 am__ She's awake! (by her own choice!) She still didn't apologize for her rude behavior last night, though. _

_Tues. 10:58 am__ She's smiling and laughing and eating a little, too! (We didn't tell her about the cops yet. Why worry her now?)_

_Tues. 12:01 pm__ Final count: 7 stitches in the head (minor concussion), a sprained wrist, some cracked ribs and a lot of bruising on the outside, too. They still have to get a sling her wrist. The doctors say she's very lucky._

_Tues. 2:30pm__ So apparently, a social worker is going to meet with Danielle in private later today and then report what she finds out to the police (so Danielle won't have to). Then, me and my dad will talk with her and…figure everything else out. I'll let you know what happens._

_Tues. 4:00pm_ _She's with the social worker now. (fingers crossed)_

_Tues. 4:57 pm__ Here we go…_

_Tues. 6:50 pm__ Looks like everything might work out, though nothing's finalized yet. She's so relieved…_

_Tues. 7:23 pm__ Doctors say they want to keep her for two more days just to monitor her. She's exhausted. She said your name while she was sleeping a few minutes ago. It was adorable._

_Wed. 10:17 am__ Her dad has officially been arrested. The social worker says he'll probably be in prison for a long time. Danielle's worried about the trial…But she gets to stay with us permanently, pending_ _paperwork ect. Ect. It's the best news I've heard all day._

And then the worst.

_Wed. 10:25 pm__ Sorry, no visitors. (her orders, not mine.) She says she'll see you Friday (that's when she's allowed back)_

No visitors.

Puck could understand that. If he were all banged up in a hospital bed he wouldn't want the whole Glee club coming to see him either. Bad for the rep.

But why didn't she want to see _him_? He thought that they had gotten back on track. But then he remembered what she had said in the choir room...

"_I know I was being…difficult for awhile," she'd said, "but that storm has passed, mostly because of what _you_ did."_

Everything had happened because of _him_. It was his stupid fault. If he had just left her alone, none of this would have happened. Maybe she hated him_._

He sure hated himself right now.

That whole week was torture for Puck. He tried to think of something he could say or do to make up for what he had done to Danielle. He wanted to make things right, to show her that he was sorry.

But he had no idea what to do.

…

Friday morning, Noah Puckerman walks through the halls of McKinley high school very carefully. He glances around every corner and through every doorway, waiting to see her there.

But she isn't.

_Maybe Kurt was wrong. _Puck thinks._Maybe she's not ready. Maybe she meant _next_ Friday._

_Or maybe something else went wrong._

That evil thought snakes into Puck's mind and propels him though the halls and into the choir room, late for Glee rehearsal, as usual.

_God, what if-_

His thoughts are cut short when he sees the Gleeks in small group in the front of the room. Puck's brows knit together.

"Wha-?" he starts, making some of the kid's head turn.

Then he hears a familiar laugh and his heart stops.

All the Glee kids smile at Puck excitedly, moving aside so he can see their visitor.

And there she was. Standing there in a black cotton dress, laughing and smiling. Her arm is in a sling, her lip is split and puffy, and she has dark bruises along her jaw line and neck, but she was there. And still beautiful as ever, smiling at him with that crinkle in her nose and a sparkle in her eyes.

And that was all Puck really cared about.

"Hey," she breathes, looking at him with her dark emerald eyes.

She didn't look like she hated him. Quite the opposite, actually. Though, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes...but maybe he was wrong.

_Only one way to find out._

"Hey." Puck replies after a moment, his hazel eyes never leaving hers.

They stare at each other for a beat, and then Puck crosses the room, takes her, gently, in his arms and holds her like she was a china doll, fragile and precious.

She stiffens for a moment, the sighs and leans into his shoulder, burying her face in his familiar warmth.

Now, Puck considers himself to be a manly guy. He certainly isn't the huggy type. He's has sex so many times with so many women that he's lost count, and not once, not even with Quinn, did he hold the girl 'after'. He was a sex shark, after all, is he stopped swimming, he'd drown.

But holding Danielle like this, knowing that she needed his support…it was something he could get used to and (though he'd never admit it) come to enjoy.

It was like he'd found someone who was already drowning, and he realizes that he didn't mind treading a little water to take things at her pace. She's been through enough.

"I'm sorry." he mumbles into her dark hair, pulling her even closer to him.

"There's nothing to apologize for." she murmurs simply, smiling sadly into his broad shoulder.

…

"It's not your fault," Danielle says quietly, "It's _his_." She feels Puck stiffen and pulls away from him, not wanting to make him uncomfortable. His intense gaze never leaves her face and she blushes lightly.

_Am I about to lose him again?_

"Hey! Look who's back from the dead!" Mr. Schu has just entered the room and everyone winces at what they were sure he thought was a very funny joke. "Welcome back, Danielle! It's good to see you!"

Danielle awkwardly smiles as everyone whoops with agreement. Puck doesn't move. He just watches.

"So what happened?" Tina asks making Danielle raises her brows. She thought it was pretty obvious what happened.

"What she means was what's going to happen now?" Mercedes clarifies as the Glee kids sit down. Danielle finds herself standing at the front of the room alone with Puck and Mr. Schue sitting by the piano behind her.

"Well..." She takes a deep breath. "Well, for starters, my dad's been arrested. The trial'll be in a few weeks and then he'll probably be sent away for a long time." The Glee kids nod in approval. "I'm living with Kurt for…" she glances at the boy, "well, we don't know how long yet. Probably until I'm eighteen." Kurt looks thrilled at the prosepct and Danielle can't help but grin at him in return. "And, uh…I'm out for the rest of the Cheerios season because of my ribs and wrist and the concussions…so Coach Sylvester is going to kill me. But I should be alright in time for Regional's."

"Good," Mike says with a grin, "we need good dancers." Everyone chuckles and the room erupts in conversation. Danielle wants to just sit down now and pretend that everything in fine. But she can't and it isn't. There's more to tell and she needs them to understand, even if it is painful.

"There's more." Danielle says, still a little unsure. Everyone shuts up to listen. "You all have been really great through all of this. I know it was a hard thing to deal with and I know I didn't make it easy for you but…" she looks at them, "thanks. For everything."

"That's what families do for each other." Quinn says, smiling softly at Danielle.

"Besides, it's okay if you went all nasty for awhile there." Santana says. "You were dealing with some pretty deep shit."

Mr. Schu clears his throat, warning Santana.

Danielle averts her gaze. "You have no idea." Her bleak tone wipes the grins off the faces of the Glee kids. "There's something else, something that I want you to know about my dad," she continues, "but it's very…hard for me to talk about." She shrugs and attempts a smile. "So, naturally I found a song to tell you."

She walks over to the band and the whole room murmurs with curiosity. Puck and Mr. Schu get up and move to the front of the room in preparation for the performance. When Danielle returns to center stage, she looks very uncomfortable and the club has never seen her so vulnerable. It makes for an awkward atmosphere.

"I only ask that this doesn't leave this room." Danielle murmurs. "I know I talked before about privacy in this club, but…" she meets each of their gazes, pleading with them, "I really mean it this time."

The Glee kids all look at each other.

Kurt backs her up as usual even though he doesn't know what she's doing. "Trust me." he says, "She's not just being dramatic. There are some things that nobody should know."

Thankfully, the kids nod their assent to Danielle's request and she cues the music to start.

A guitar starts strumming softly as Danielle starts to sing.

_There's a part I can't tell, about the dark I know well..._

At the first line of the song, Rachel, Jesse and Kurt all stiffen knowing the meaning behind the Broadway hit. Kurt's heart stops and he prays that he heard her wrong because the implications of this song…well, that was a whole different level of 'bad'.

Danielle, meanwhile, tries to separate the past from the present as she sings, not wanting the bad memories to affect her performance. But she cannot stop the onslaught of images that bombard her mental psyche.

_You say, "Time for bed now, child,"_

_Mom just smiles that smile-_

_Just like she never saw me,_

_Just like she never saw me..._

_So, I leave, wantin' just to hide._

_Knowin' deep inside,_

_You are comin' to me._

_You are comin' to me..._

_You say all you want is just a kiss goodnight,_

_And then you hold me and you whisper,_

_"Child the Lord won't mind._

_It's just you and me._

"_Child you're a beauty."_

_"God, it's good-lovin'-ain't it good tonight_

_You ain't seen nothin' yet-gonna treat you right._

_It's just you and me._

_Child you're a beauty"_

Danielle's voice is bitter and her facial expression makes it clear that she is miles away, but the emotion she puts into the song puts it on a whole different level, even if some of the Glee kids don't fully understand the concept of it yet.

_I don't scream. Though I know it's wrong._

_I just play along._

Danielle squeezes her eyes shut.

_I lie there and breathe._

_Lie there and breathe._

_I wanna be strong-_

Her breath catches, but she goes on.

_I want the world to find out_

_That you're dreamin' on me,_

_Me and my "beauty"_

_Me and my "beauty"..._

By this point, almost all of the Glee kids understand what she is trying to tell them. They are filled with horror and shock and watch the performance with a new perspective on the girl in front of them. Puck is numb and disbelieving, remembering Danielle's bruises on her legs. _Sex bruises._ Quinn, Rachel and Tina cry openly. Mike, Matt and Finn all look as if they got hit over the head with something. Mr. Schu, Mercedes, Jesse and Kurt look deeply, deeply concerned. Danielle sings on, her control crumbling and her voice going raw with suppressed emotion.

_You say all you want is just a kiss goodnight,_

_And then you hold me and you whisper,_

_"Child the Lord won't mind._

_It's just you and me._

_Child you're a beauty."_

She starts shaking, and her eyes water. She thinks of all her years alone. Of all the terrible things she's faced and the people who abandoned her. But most of all, she thinks of her father on those terrible nights when she couldn't run away, couldn't fight back. She closes her eyes again_._

_There's a part I can't tell_

_About the dark I know well._

_There's a part I can't tell_

_About the dark I know well._

Tears slide down Danielle's face as she opens her eyes.

_There's a part I can't tell_

_About the dark I know well.  
_Suddenly, the music stops and the only sound in the room is the snuffling of the kids.

Danielle wipes the side of her nose with her arm discreetly and takes a ragged breath. She is still shaking.

"Is that true?" Quinn asks after awhile, tears stains on her face. "He…he did _that_ to you?"

Danielle shuffles her feet. "Uhm." She coughs. "Well, not it's not entirely true, no." The kids relax a little before Danielle continues. "My mom, uh, my mom was never there when he-." Her voice breaks. "She was long gone by then, and my dad…he never actually said anything 'during'." Her voice turns bitter. "He didn't give me fake reassurances or anything. He just-" she bit her lip.

"…"

The silence in the room is agonizing but Danielle can't move. She is rooted to the spot.

"But _why_?" Rachel asks hysterically to nobody in particular. "He's _single_; he could have had any woman on the street. _Why you?_" Her voice constricted with tears and she chokes down a sob. "…I just don't understand…"

"There's nothing understandable about it, Rachel." Jesse says gently, placing a hand over her shoulder comfortingly. She leans into him, burying her face in his shoulder.

Danielle wishes she could bury her head back into Puck's shoulder. But he's been strangely quiet through all of this. She doesn't know what he's thinking, but she's positive that it isn't good.

"…I don't know why," Danielle murmurs darkly, "and to be honest, I don't care. I don't want to know anything about what goes on in his fucked-up mind."

"How did you, like, keep the stork away? Did you shoot at it?" Brittany asks. Nobody even rolls their eyes. They all know what she's trying to say.

Danielle's face turns scarlet. "I, uh…I stole what I needed to, to stay safe when I was younger. That is, before I had a job." she shakes her head, "The last thing I needed was a baby."

Some people's eyes dart to Quinn, who is suddenly grateful for the nature of her pregnancy. _There are worst things. _she thinks, putting a hand on her round stomach that holds her and Puck's unborn daughter.

"_Why didn't you tell anyone_?" Kurt seethes, looking very hurt and even a little angry. The question makes Danielle recoil in chagrin. "This is a _whole_ new level of bad, Danielle!"

"_I never knew_!" Danielle interrupts him with a hysterical shriek, making everyone jump. Her words tumble out before she can consider them. "I mean, I didn't even know what he was _doing_ the-the first time! I just _laid there_! I didn't know until we had that 'Talk' in seventh grade and I realized what he was doing to me! _What I'd let him do to me_! I didn't know anything about sex, or men or being safe!" she rambles, her cheeks flushed. For an instant she looks absolutely deranged. Finally, she pants out a sigh. "I was twelve years old." she whispers in a broken voice.

All the girls let out a breath, absolutely aghast. The boys look sick. _So young…_

The room is still once again, nobody being able to say anything.

Trying to be subtle, Danielle wipes the tears from her eyes and stands taller.

"But, uhm…" she clears her throat, "But that's it. It's over and I just thought you guys should know the truth, because to be honest," she shrugs, "stuff like that…it does a lot more damage than I let on."

"But," she continues, "I don't want to be treated any differently because of this. I am the same person I was a few weeks ago. Better, actually." She gives them a weak grin, "It's over and I'm ready to move on from all of this."

The room is still as each person takes in Danielle's story and tries to find the words to reassure her that nothing has changed, even though everything has.

Finally, Kurt stands up and walks up to her, giving her a comforting hug. Danielle leans into him, sobbing silently.

Soon, all the girls in the Glee club are up and engulf Danielle in a group hug.

"Watch the arm, watch the arm!" Danielle chokes out, giving them a small smile.

The guys stand to the side, not sure whether Danielle would want them touching her with everything that has happened. When the girls back away, Danielle slowly walks up to Finn who stands at the front of the group. Finn, who barely knew her, but did so much to try to support and help her.

"What, you scared I bite or something?" she asks him teasingly, grinning widely. "_I'm_ not afraid of the big bad wolf."

Finn grins back and leans down for a big hug and all the boys (save for Puck) follow his lead and start a second group hug around Danielle.

Once they all break away, Danielle looks over at Puck and he stares back. The whole club watches as he stands up and walks over to her. When he reaches her, Puck puts his arms out, waiting for her to make the move. The kids start chattering amongst themselves as Danielle wordlessly folds herself into his arms, soaking in the feeling of security they gave her.

They didn't say anything. What could they possibly say? The wounds were too fresh, their minds racing too fast for words. So they just held each other for a moment, absorbing the emotion radiating off of each other.

"Mr. Schuester?" a new voice says from the doorway. Danielle and Puck lean apart as everyone turns to see a middle-aged woman standing there, looking very tired. "Mr. Schuester, I'm sorry, but can I borrow Mr. Puckerman for a moment?"

"Is this about the bologna on the cafeteria ceiling?" Puck asks, his arms still around Danielle. His comment makes everyone raise their brows.

"Wha-?" the kids mouth to watch other.

The woman nods, her lips tight.

Puck sighs then breaks away from Danielle. "I'll talk to you later," he whispers so that only she can hear him.

"After school?" she asks hopefully.

He nods.

Then, he just kisses the top of her head softly before following the woman out of the room. Just as he leaves, Danielle swears the room loses some of its light.

Scene 2 WMHS hallway

At the end of the school day, the hallway is almost empty. Only a few stragglers are left and Danielle is among them. She knows Kurt is waiting for her out front of the school and that he'll stay there until she comes out. He understood that she needed to do this alone.

Finally, a familiar face comes down the hall, heading straight for her.

"Hey," Puck says his expression completely neutral. All hints of affection from earlier were gone and he was himself again. She admired how he could do that, control his emotions. It made it really hard to tell what he was thinking, though.

"Hey," she replies, closing her locker. "So, uh, how much trouble did you get in for the bologna thing?"

"Oh, so you just assume I did it?" he asks, eyes shining.

She grins devilishly, "Well…yeah."

"One weeks detention. No big deal." he narrows his eyes, "But that's not what you want to talk about, is it?"

Danielle bites her lip. "No, it isn't…"

D: "I think we need to break up."

P: "I don't care what happened to you."

They had spoken simultaneously. They froze.

P: "You want to break up?"

D: "_You don't care_?"

It happened again. Puck quickly put his hand up to silence Danielle.

"No, no, of course I _care_." He says hurriedly, "I hate him for what he did that to you. I've never really wanted to kill anyone in my whole life until I saw that man. But…" he takes her hand, still unsure of whether he could touch her. He took her unflinching-ness as a good sign. "It wasn't your fault, and I don't want that to affect us. It sure as hell doesn't change how I feel about you."

"And what do you feel, Puck?" she asks, her voice soft, "What am I to you?"

He opens his mouth. Closes it.

She shakes her head. "Don't worry; I'm not looking for an answer. _I_ don't know what I feel about you, either. Not really." Her face is so open, so honest. She can finally speak clearly to him and he's not sure that he likes what he's hearing. "I like you. I like being with you, but things aren't that simple anymore."

Puck shuffles his feet then returns his gaze to Danielle.

"You have a baby coming in a few weeks, Puck. And I know you haven't settled whatever feelings you have for Quinn. You love her-"

"I like you too!" Puck interjects, then blanches and corrects himself. "I-I mean I really do care about you."

She smiles. "I know. That's why you have to give me time, too." Puck looks at her, confused. "With everything that's happened," she starts uncomfortably, "I mean…" She looks up at Puck, and her eyes are very sad. "I have a lot of issues, Puck. What he did to me…well, you see how I am. That won't just go away because he's gone."

Puck looks very uncomfortable but doesn't break eye contact with her. "I'm not giving up on you because of what that bastard did. Hell I thought we made some progress for awhile there."

"Yeah, we did," she nods. Pauses. "But the reason I never expected us to get in so deep is because I'm a pretty independent person. I always have been. And, to be honest, it's easier that way. Now don't get me wrong I like this new me and I like being with you," she rushes on, trying not to hurt Puck's feelings, "but I'm going to need some time and space."

Puck stares at her, thinking hard. She looks straight back at him, her eyes pleading with him.

"I just have to figure this out on my own for a little while," she murmurs.

Pucks nods. "…So exactly how long is 'a little while'?" he says finally.

Danielle grins, "Maybe we should give each other the summer to figure things out?"

Puck shakes his head. "How about after Regional's?"

"Too soon." She pauses. "Why don't we wait until Quinn has the baby? Then you two can figure your lives out and we can talk."

Puck sighs, but nods.

Danielle smiles. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asks, genuinely confused. "You don't need my help. You're the most badass girl I know."

Her grin widens and she throws her bag over her shoulder. "And don't you forget it." she says with a wink. Then she starts backing away towards the parking lot, "I'll see you around, Puck."

And then they both go their separate ways, neither of them feeling particularly good about the situation, but both knowing it was the right thing.

…

"_Maybe you should just kill me now and save yourself the pain."_

_Not a chance, Moretti._ Puck thinks. _I'm not leaving you after all of this._

Puck doesn't plan on just 'dumping' Danielle. Not in the state she's in. If anything, she needs him now more than ever. The fact that he can't hover around her just provides him with a special challenge.

The way he sees it, he can either try to hold on to her and feel better about the situation, and then end up seriously pissing her off and hurting Quinn. Which sucked. Or, he could back off and work things out, hoping that she'll still let him in her life. Which also sucked.

So Puck lets her go with the secret knowledge that he isn't really letting her go. She needs support, she needs people…

She needs love.

As Puck walks away, a familiar tune plays. It sounds defeated and sad, but Puck isn't either of those things. Just determined.

He ends up outside, watching Danielle get in the car with Kurt. The-him-that-isn't-him sings…

_Beauty queen of only eighteen, she had some trouble with herself._

_He was always there to help her, she always belonged to someone else_

He watches her drive away, and the scene flips to the car arriving at a dingy house where Danielle and her father lived. Puck watches Danielle gather up her belongings and tidy things up throughout the wrecked house.

_I drove for miles and miles, and wound up at your door_

_I've had you so many times, but somehow I want more_

Finally, she and Kurt leave the building, each holding a box. Danielle slams the door shut and drops the key in the landlord's mail slot. They make their way back to the car. The scene shifts to Danielle and Kurt getting out of the car in front of the Hummel house. Burt waits at the door, eager to welcome his son and new ward home.

_I don't mind spending every day, out on your corner in the pourin' rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile; ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved, and she will be loved…_

Danielle is at school again, handing in her Cheerio's uniform to a frowning Coach Sylvester.

_Tap on my window, knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful._

_I know, I tend to get so insecure, it doesn't matter anymore._

Then, she is in class, wide awake and alert, answering questions with her usual zeal.

_It's not always rainbows and butterflies, its compromise that moves us along. Yeah…_

_My heart is full and my door's always open, you come anytime you want_

Mercedes, Kurt and Danielle all sit at 'the Bean' laughing and talking together over their hot drinks. Puck focuses on Danielle's smile and her bright eyes.

_I don't mind spending every day out on your corner in the pourin' rain._

_Look for the girl with the broken smile, ask her if she wants to stay awhile_

_And she will be loved, and she will be loved_

_And she will be loved, and she will be loved_

The next scene is darker. Danielle is sleeping in her new room, tossing and turning, obviously in the middle of a nightmare. She clutches at the blankets and grimaces in her sleep. The Puck-who-isn't-Puck watches her pityingly. Finally, Danielle wakes with a start and pants heavily, looking miserable.

_I know where you hide alone in your car, know all of the things that make you who you are _

_I know that goodbye means nothin' at all, comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls. Yeah_...

Just then her phone lights up, she reaches for it, sees that it's Puck and smiles weakly.

_Tap on my window, knock on my door, I want to make you feel beautiful_

She sits there through the night, lying in various positions, texting and grinning and even laughing quietly until the sun rises. In another place, Puck also sits up, a small smirk on his face as he texts Danielle.

_I don't mind spending every day, out on your corner in the pourin' rain_

_Look for the girl with the broken smile. Ask her if she wants to stay awhile__  
__And she will be loved, and she will be loved, and she will be loved, and she will be loved._

The next scene is much brighter, obviously outdoors. Puck leans against his bike casually, waiting for something…or someone.

_(Please don't try so hard to say goodbye)_

_Yeah, I don't mind spending everyday_

In a darker place, Danielle comes out from behind a door that says "Manager" and walks over to a big vanity, one of dozens in what looks like a backstage area. She gathers some cosmetics into a small bag and other items from the counter, takes a piece of tape with her name on it off the mirror and strides away, looking satisfied.

_(Please don't try so hard to say goodbye)_

_Out on your corner in the pourin' rain_

Danielle walks out the front entrance to Stroker's, the same door Puck walked in only months before. It's bright out and she squints against the sun, but she can make out the outline of a boy standing next to a motorcycle and she grins.

_(Please don't try so hard to say goodbye)_

She strides over to him, looking happier than he's seen her in awhile. He smirks in return, and gets on the bike, waiting for her to join him.

She doesn't disappoint.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_I do not own glee. Song is "Somewhere Over the Rainbow__" from 'The Wizard of Oz'._

**1:11 Moving Forward**

Scene One: Hummel House

The end of the school year is almost in sight and Danielle is anxious to meet it.

Ever since what she likes to refer to as "that week", Danielle, Kurt and Burt have been figuring out their new lifestyle one day at a time. Kurt had to get used to having a roommate while Burt gets re-accustomed to having a woman in the house again. Danielle quickly found out that when things had been distant between her and Kurt, a lot had happened in the Hummel household. Burt and his girlfriend Carole (Finn's mom) were more serious than she had known. Kurt had predicted that the two would get along great and not bother taking things slow, but Danielle didn't think he'd anticipated how fast things would escalate. Likewise, Kurt's relationship with Finn was becoming…more forward.

And not necessarily in a good way.

Now that she didn't have Cheerio's or her job at the club to worry about anymore, Danielle's devoted her time to making up her schoolwork and being there for Kurt.

With all the changes in his life and problems with bullies at school and Finn, he really needed someone to talk to. Personally, Danielle thinks that Kurt will probably struggle all through high school; it is inevitable for someone like him. Lima is too small for him to be truly accepted by the general population; he needs to get out of there just as much as Danielle did. She's determined to be there to help him in the meantime, though, doing whatever she can for her best friend.

…

About two and a half weeks after she'd moved in, Burt tells Danielle and Kurt over breakfast that he is planning on inviting Carole and Finn to live with them.

Danielle's mouth drops open and scrambled eggs she was chewing almost tumble out onto her plate.

Kurt, thankfully, is too shocked to chastise her gross display.

_Finn Hudson? Living_ here_? _She thinks , don't' misunderstand. Danielle thinks Finn is a great guy. A little goofy, but nice and loyal. She wouldn't mind him being here at all…except for the effect that something like this could have on Kurt.

"I'm sorry. What?" the boy in question finally says, looking at his father very confusedly and more than a little hopefully.

"Well, me and Carole…I just think it's time that we moved in together." Burt repeats, stumbling over his words a little.

"That's a wonderful idea! But we're short a room…" Kurt reminds him, glancing significantly at Danielle.

She flushes. One thing she hated more than anything is being in the way of Burt and Kurt's lives. She pushes her plate away, suddenly losing her appetite.

"Well, I was planning on giving that room to Finn but I think you boys can share for awhile." Burt replies making Kurt's face lights up. "Just until we can put on an addition or something. He's not going to be used to having a roommate, Kurt." he warns his son.

"Neither am I but I'm sure we can manage," Kurt says primly.

_Uh-oh._ That spelled trouble.

"Or Finn could have the spare room and I could stay with Kurt?" Danielle suggests.

"Uh-uh," Burt says, talking around his bacon. "A young woman needs her own space. That room is yours, Danielle. The boys can share for a little while."

"Well you certainly have my blessing, Dad," Kurt beams.

Danielle still wasn't sure about the situation and she didn't think Finn would be either, but she sat at the table in silence, planning on how to reign in Kurt's inevitable shenanigans towards his new roommate.

Her prediction was proven to be true when, after Carole agreed to Burt's proposal, Finn was brought in and told Burt's plan.

They were all standing downstairs in Kurt's bedroom when Carole brought Finn in. The small boy had gone all out, cleaning his already pristine room, putting up decorations, getting fancy food and sparkling cider and even dressing up more formally than usual. The look in his eye was practically predatorial.

This was not missed by Finn who looked very unhappy with the prospect of moving in let alone sharing a room with Kurt.

"I've always had my own room," he insists, trying not to be too rude to his mom's boyfriend and schoolmate.

Kurt's happy expression flickers for a moment before he goes on to talk about how the two can re-decorate the whole room to make it more welcoming for Finn. Danielle can hear the anxiety in his voice and feels for him, but doesn't know how to comfort him. Thinking quickly, she grabs one of his elaborate deserts and shoves it into his hand. He stops rambling and eats it, giving her an appreciative glance.

"Look," Burt says, trying to keep the mood positive. "I know that you're used to being on your own. I completely get that. And we planned for you to have your own room but plans change."

Danielle winces slightly and turns away to arrange the snack tray, not wanting to intrude on their family moment. Carole notices and joins her by the tray while Burt continues talking. She squeezes Danielle's arm and offers a comforting smile. Danielle is shocked at the gesture and nods thankfully at the older woman. Danielle likes Carole. She's open, kind, smart and obviously a good mother to Finn. She's never really had a woman in her adolescent life, but maybe Carole's presence in this house will change that. Danielle isn't sure what to think of that quite yet.

They eventually rejoin the group and Carole puts her arm around Danielle's shoulders, pleading for Finn to take a risk for her. In the end, Finn agrees to give his new living arrangement a try while Burt reassures him that he will have his own room eventually and Kurt assures him that their room is about to get a whole new makeover. If Danielle was any indication, Kurt's makeover plans were usually flawless and she hoped that it would erase Finn's hesitation and make Kurt happy.

That boy needed some happiness in his life.

…

Meanwhile, in glee club, everyone goes gaga for GaGa. Especially Kurt. It all started when Tina was banned by Figgins from wearing her goth clothes. In order to help her find a new look, the girls and Kurt decided to make their own GaGa-esque costumes and perform a number in them. Naturally, Kurt was making Danielle's costume for her.

"It's called being theatrical, showing off who you are" Kurt says whilst wearing a blue powdered wig and re-gluing a big jewel to his face. He's wearing a big, sparkly, blue…thing that's tight on his legs and huge on his tiny shoulders. He is also clomping around in a huge pair of heels. Danielle can't help but think how amazing the ensemble looks, even if it is a little freaky. He reminds her of a Capital person from the Hunger Games: outlandish, yet impressively stylish.

The two are working on Danielle's own outfit in her room since Kurt won't let anyone in his and Finn's room until it is completely redecorated. There are bins of fabric and rhinestones everywhere and Danielle has stepped on needles five times already. Despite the mess, she lets Kurt go crazy. He may look ridicules and enjoy those heels a little too much, but he also seems lighter, even a little bubbly and that makes it all worth it.

More than ever, Danielle is worried about the attention Kurt will get from the bullies at McKinley in this outlandish outfit. She tries to escort him from class to class to tries to keep him out of harm's way, but their schedules just don't match up and nobody else is willing to help. Before, the bullies had been a little lenient towards Kurt even when Danielle wasn't around because they thought Danielle was untouchable. However, after her attack, the bullies had seen Danielle's weakness. Sure they still left her alone (only a complete psycho would go after her now), but she wasn't untouchable anymore. And neither was Kurt.

After hours upon hours of sewing, fittings and stepping on jewels and pins, Danielle's outfit is finished. She stands in front of her mirror, brow raised critically. She's in a red skintight leotard that reaches mid-thigh (the original GaGa outfit exposed more leg but Mr. Schu stressed that the kids still had to follow school dress code guidelines). She has lacy black stockings under the leotard which match her black knee-high stiletto boots and black belt around her waist. Finally, she has a red hood on her head, which is attached to the leotard. Kurt had a rough time pinning it, but it sat securely on Danielle's head so she would be able to dance without it falling off. She has no extra accessories except a pair of red biker gloves. Her makeup is simple and dark. Kurt made it somehow make her look mysterious. The most dramatic thing is her hair, though. Kurt spent hours straightening it so it was sleek and had not a single curl. On Danielle, it looked alien. She wasn't sure if she liked it nor not.

_I wonder what Puck will make of this… _She thinks, and then mentally rebukes herself.

Puck has been spending a lot more time with Quinn these past two weeks, just like Danielle encouraged him to, but he doesn't seem to be making any progress with her. Danielle likes that he's trying though, and secretly relishes in the fact that Puck doesn't look at Quinn the way that he used to.

Danielle licks her bright red lips thoughtfully, teasing Kurt.

"Well?" he demands.

She turns to him. "It's perfect, as usual. Ten out of ten!"

Kurt claps giddily and starts gushing about Tina's ad Mercedes' outfits, which, of course, he helped with also. Danielle can't imagine how anybody in Lima could pull something like this off without Kurt.

…

Danielle is admittedly surprised with the quality of the outfits in Glee club the next day. Like Kurt, everyone seems to have gone all out. Except for the other guys. Mercedes has a bright purple wig similar to Kurt's, Santana is wearing a giant bow on her head, and Quinn's dress is so wide the stool she sits on is inside of it!

_How the hell did they make this stuff! _Danielle thinks in awe. She was there when Kurt was working and she still doesn't understand it.

Danielle gets some attention for her outfit, too. Mostly male attention, but still. Puck even makes a private comment to her about how 'you can take the girl out of the strip joint but you can't take the stripper out of the girl'. She hits him for that, but can't help but smile.

Kurt is in his prime, though, which is what makes Danielle happiest. He even sings a few solos in the group number, 'Bad Romance'. Danielle watches him all day from the corner of her eyes and is happy with what she sees. For once, everything seemed to have worked out.

Scene 2: WMHS 

A few days later, Danielle is sitting the school library working on homework while Kurt is at Cheerio's practice. She studies hard, determined to make up for all the things she missed and preparing for finals. After about an hour and a half, though, she is burned out and restless. She looks out the window and sees that it looks relatively nice out now that the chill of winter and early spring is gone. It's a very tempting sight.

Telling herself that she'll study with Kurt later, Danielle writes a quick note then shoves her books into her bag. She thanks the elderly librarian, then heads to the boys locker room.

Danielle walks in and her mind flashes through memories of her and Puck, making out by the rows of sinks. Was that only a few weeks ago? It seemed like forever. So much has changed since then, and yet…so much hasn't.

It's not as if everything was going to magically change overnight. Danielle knew that, no matter how much she tried to convince herself and everyone else that she was okay. The truth is that, even though she is physically safe, she's still dealing with her old demons. She is constantly plagued with crippling nightmares, crushing insecurities senseless rage; some days, it takes everything in her to just get through the day until she can lock herself in her room, curl up and shut down for a little while. She's glad she warned Puck off all those weeks ago, Kurt and Burt knew that she had to be left alone, but she didn't think Puck would take them well. When Burt tried to talk to her about seeing a therapist, she immediately declined, not wanting to waste her time or his money on such a thing. She told him that just being in a safe place is making all the psychological stuff so much easier to handle. And it was. Some days she feels nothing at all.

_For the time being, anyway._

Danielle shakes her head, clearing her thoughts and heads over to Kurt's locker. It's the only one with pom-poms and high heels in front of it. Smiling to herself, she puts her note on the bench and walks out, taking her warm memories of Puck with her.

…

Danielle's eyes are glued at the sidewalk, but her mind is a million miles away as she walks to the Hummel's house. She takes a few detours, enjoying the time to think to herself and gets home a little later than she expected. She'd texted Burt a while back so he wouldn't worry, but it looked like they were waiting for her anxiously anyway. Finn stands on the sidewalk, pacing back and forth and looking very strange.

"Hey, Finn!" Danielle calls and the taller boy jumped.

"Danielle," He says, his voice is hoarse. It is then that Danielle notices that his ears are bright red and he's shivering a little. Despite the nice weather, it was still a little nippy now that the sun is going down and Finn didn't have a jacket. How long has he been out here?

"What exactly are you doing?" she asks slowly.

"I, um…I…" He takes a deep breath. "I screwed up, like really, _really_ bad. I…" Finn's eyes start to water a little and Danielle instantly sobers up. He rushes on, "I was just so frustrated! I mean, Kurt's a good guy but he's always flirting with me and I can't get him to stop and it woulda been fine if I had my own room but he turned it into this really cool but kinda girly thing and I just-I just couldn't handle it and I lost it! I didn't mean to call the lamp faggy but it just-it just came out! And then Burt came in and Kurt was crying…"

Danielle stares at the boy, keeping her face carefully blank, but inside her mind was racing. "You used the word 'faggy' in front of Kurt." she says, her tone cold.

"I'm not one of these guys." Finn says, sounding defeated. "I'm not going to be them. I just-"

"You made a mistake."

He nods.

"But you realize that it was a _huge _mistake, right?" Danielle crosses her arms and scolds him. "You can't say things like that. Not to anybody, but most of all not to a friend. Especially not one who you know is already going through way more shit than anyone should be expected to deal with."

"I know." Finn says miserably.

Danielle considers him for a moment then sighs. "…So how bad was it?" she asks gently.

"Well-he, uh, there were curtains and pots like everywhere and the lights were really low and-"

"Not the room you dolt, the fight," she rolls her eyes.

"Oh! Well, Burt came down and started yelling at me and…" his face goes downcast, "and he was really disappointed in me. And Kurt…" Finn shift uncomfortably.

"Kurt…?" Danielle prompts.

"He didn't take it too great." He says hollowly.

She nods. That was only to be expected.

"And so Burt kicked me out."

That surprises her. "What? But-but your mom? I mean, they're practically married." The boys face crumples again, remembering that his mother still had no idea what happened. She'd be so ashamed…

"Okay, tell you what, Finn." Danielle says in a no-nonsense tone. "Go home. You being here is only gonna make things harder for Kurt. The best thing to do is stay away for a little bit, you know, wait for everything to cool down. Then-"

"Apologize to him."

"Hmph. You're going to have to do more than apologize."

"What more can I do?"

"I don't know but it better be big." Finn lets out a frustrated groan and buries his face in his hands. Feeling a twinge of pity, Danielle pats him on the shoulder. "Go home. Get some sleep. Tomorrow…well it's probably not gonna be any better but eventually things will work out."

He nods. "Thanks, Danielle." He pauses. "You're a good friend. To me and Kurt."

Danielle is surprised. A friend of Finn Hudson's? She never could have predicted that.

"Yeah, well….if you'll excuse me," she nods towards the house, "there's someone else I have to take care of."

Finn winces but gets into his pickup and starts the ignition. Danielle takes a moment to gather her thoughts before marching to the front door.

The atmosphere inside feels the same. It's just as quiet as always, the only sounds are Burt preparing dinner in the kitchen. Danielle walks in the doorway and waves to him, showing him that she's home. He nods in her direction and returns to his work, obviously still a little upset.

"Dinner'll be ready in an hour." He says, then looks up at her again. "Tell Kurt for me will ya?"

Danielle knows that he wants her to go talk to him, to comfort him in ways he can't. Burt and Kurt may be close but there is something missing there. Burt's a protective papa bear but not the cuddly mama bear Kurt needs right now. Kurt needs Danielle and she is more than willing to be there for him.

"Sure," she replies. She drops her bag and jacket by the stairs (something that would definitely irritate Kurt later) and heads for the basement.

At the top of the stairs, Danielle can hear Kurt's sobs, but as she descends, they get quieter and quieter, as if he was trying to stop himself.

"Dad, really, I'm fine I just-Oh." The small boy is sitting on a deep purple futon, surrounded by discarded tissues. "It's you," his lower lip quivers, "good."

"Oh, Kurt…" Danielle immediately sits herself next to Kurt and pulls him into her arms.

"You're-you're on the tissues…" he starts. "They're germy."

"Shut up, Kurt."

Kurt barks out a broken laugh as a few more tear fall down his face.

Danielle hugs him for awhile, hoping that it would comfort him. As Kurt cries, she examines the room around her with dismay. It was…well, a little out-there. Especially for someone like Finn who wears the same sweaters and jeans every week. He's a guy with simpler tastes, for sure. The room was really, really cool, though and Danielle knows Kurt must have been really proud of it. She feels like she's in a whole other world. Like an 'Arabian Nights' kind of thing. She knew better than to bring it up, though. So she just held Kurt until he cried himself out, telling him how sorry she was for what happened.

After awhile, Kurt's sobs get quieter and he gives her a more detailed account of what had actually occurred. Danielle still couldn't believe Finn reacted so violently, but when she remembered how remorseful he was, she couldn't bring herself to hate him.

"…You were right." Kurt says after awhile. "Maybe he isn't the best choice for me. God, I must be really stupid to think that we would ever-" his voice cracks and he leans his head on Danielle's shoulder.

Danielle faces a tough decision. Does she tell Kurt about her conversation with Finn or let him go, giving him a chance to get over the quarterback? She wanted him to stop hurting, but at the same time, she thought it would be best that he get over Finn. So she remains silent on that subject.

Instead, she tries to start a completely new conversation.

"Oh, it's not your fault, hon. It's those 'alpha-male boy wonders' that should be blamed for our problems. I don't know why we bother with them," she sighs. "I mean, come on. The real stars in this world are hardly ever the 'buff but brainless' football player-types. You need someone more on your level intellectually and artistically."

"…What about Brad Pitt? He's definitely the quarterback type and a pretty smart guy." Kurt says quietly. "Cute too."

"Mmm… I think he's taken, though…right?"

"They have a few kids but Angelina doesn't have a ring on her finger yet…" Kurt ducks his head, "And I probably never will either."

Whoops. Bad direction.

"Ah, who the hell needs a ring on their finger, anyway? Marriage doesn't equal love, just ask my parents. And that chick Beyonce you like so much seems to be doing just fine. She's a single lady, right?"

Kurt snorts out a laugh. "Beyonce is married, Danielle." He rolls his eyes at her lack of knowledge on pop-culture. "Haven't I taught you anything?"

"That imposter!" Danielle yells in mock outrage. "Pretending to be a strong independent woman and then going and getting married! The _nerve_! As if she could ever understand our _pain_!"

Kurt giggles at her dramatics just as Burt calls them up for dinner.

"Hm. Hopefully it's not Middle-Eastern cuisine." Danielle says standing, up and taking one last look around the room.

"Puh-leese." Kurt snorts as she pulls him to his feet. "As if my dad could ever cook ethnic food. We all know that's my area of expertise."

"And no one does it better than you, hon." Danielle says as Kurt leads the way up the stairs.

He beams down at her, his eyes still a little red. "Thank you, Danielle."

It is that moment that it strikes Danielle just why she and Kurt are so compatible, why they get each other more than anyone else. In that moment, she realizes that she and Kurt are both fighters; strong, independent personalities that hide their pain from the world, refusing to let anyone see their weaknesses. She and Kurt are the type of people that would crack a joke as they lie on their deathbed, refusing to go down looking vulnerable.

Danielle smiles at Kurt's back as they ascend up the stairs. "What're friends for?"

…

The very next day, after struggling into their GaGa costumes once again, Kurt, Finn and Danielle all sit in the choir room together for Glee club. Danielle sits faithfully by Kurt's side, but manages to sneak Finn a small smile. The guy looks crushed. He tries to talk to Kurt, but the smaller boy refuses to acknowledge him.

_He just needs more time, Finn_, Danielle thinks, _give him some space._

However, Danielle's attention was soon diverted from the warring boys when Puck announces that he has a song to sing…for Quinn.

It's a beautiful performance of KISS's 'Beth'. So beautiful, in fact, that Quinn 'the Ice Queen' sheds a tear or two. It looks like she might finally start letting Puck in. Though, she still seems like she wants to give their baby up, but there's no denying that they'd make good parents together.

Danielle is torn between the happiness she feels for both of them and the pang she gets when she sees Puck look at Quinn like 'that'.

Danielle knows that she is more than 'Puck's girlfriend' and that she's fortunate enough to have Kurt and Burt and even the people in Glee club in her life. She'll be fine.

But she's still going to miss him.

…

At the end of "GaGa week", Finn once again leads the New Directions in an intervention with the two jocks that constantly harass Kurt. He and Finn seemed to have reconciled afterwards, which eased a lot of the tension between the Hummel-Hudson clans.

As the Glee club prepared for Regional's, Coach Sylvester's Cheerio's won Nationals and Kurt got on Cable TV (the Hudson-Hummels had a mini-party and recorded the event). Kurt was beyond happy. It was his moment in the spotlight for the first time in his life. That ended quickly, however, when Mr. Schu announced the set list for Regional's. Rachel and Finn were to do a duet together then the New Directions would perform two group numbers, all Journey songs. The kids barely moved the whole performance; much to Danielle's and Mike's disappointment as the two most serious dancers in the club. Danielle had to admit though, the vocals sounded amazing. Though she wasn't sure how big of a show Vocal Adrenaline's would perform, Danielle thought that the Glee club might actually have a chance to win at Regional's.

Even if Coach Sylvester was a judge.

…

Scene 3: Regionals

"I can't believe we lost." Artie says, brokenly.

The others cannot speak. Almost everyone tries to hold back tears while Jesse St. Jackass celebrates his victory with the rest of Vocal Adrenaline.

"Were they really that good?" Tina finally asks, and everyone turns to Rachel. She was the only one who saw their performance.

"Their vocals were only so-so, well except Jesse, but they _looked_…fantastic." She mutters, grumbling.

Mike and Danielle exchange a meaningful look. They knew that Mr. Schu's routine had been too simplistic. He was too focused on vocals to be bothered with anything dance-related that might give them an edge.

Mr. Schu also must have realized this because he shoots a quick, guilty glance at them before telling the group to follow him back to the bus.

For some reason, bitter disappointment or an adrenaline crash, his guilt makes her angry. Danielle glares at the back of Mr. Schu's, as they walk out, thinking of all times he'd placed her, Mike, Matt and Brittany on the bottom of his agenda. Her mental tirade is interrupted when a hand lands on her bare shoulder. She flinches and looks up to see Mike watching her.

_It's not worth it. _he seems to be saying. Danielle takes a deep breath and nods.

"I'm good." She mutters. He nods and walks off towards Matt and Finn.

Danielle gets on the bus and plops into her seat in front of Kurt's, thinking about how crazy that night had been.

Quinn's water breaking right after their performance had given everyone a heart attack. They all (except Rachel) rushed her to the hospital in the bus, scared out of their minds. Puck, somehow, seemed to have a good handle on his emotions and sat behind Quinn the whole time, not saying anything, just watching concernedly.

He and Mercedes went into the delivery room with Quinn and her mom while everyone else went to the waiting room. After what seemed like eons, Mercedes came out with the good news: Quinn was fine and the baby was a healthy girl. Everyone was so happy and relieved that they celebrated right there in the waiting room.

Immediately, Mr. Schu rushed all the kids (except for, of course, Quinn and Puck) back to the competition. It was then that they found out that Vocal Adrenaline had won and Glee club was over.

_But to come in third? _Danielle mentally rants,_ That's just wrong. Aural Intensity stinks, everyone knows it!_

But there was nothing they could do.

As she sat there reflecting on the events of that day, it surprised Danielle how much she didn't want Glee club to end. What started out as blackmail became something she enjoyed, something that she loved.

She'd still be able to hang out with Kurt and Mercedes, and even with all the Quinn drama, she liked to think that she'd see Puck from time to time, but she was really going to miss everything else and the release that the club had given her.

Even if it was a headache most of the time.

…

Scene 4: West Lima Hospital

"She looks like you."

Puck watches Beth sleep with Quinn at his side. They're not at ease standing so close to each other; it feels like there's a million miles of empty space between them. After all this time, he still has no idea what she's thinking.

"Do you want to keep her?" he asks her, for the final time. He prays that she changes her mind.

But she doesn't.

"No." she says, "Do you?"

Puck inhales. He's not sure what to think, honestly. Before, he hoped that Quinn would want to keep Beth once she was born, but now…he wasn't sure.

_But she's my daughter,_ he thinks, _I don't want to let her go._ _She is my one mistake that turned into something good. _

He loved Beth without knowing her. He couldn't answer Quinn.

"Did you love me?" Quinn whispers, shocking Puck.

Puck never told a girl he loved her before. He wasn't really sure what love was, but Quinn needed an answer and somehow he knew that, once, he had one.

"Yes," He says simply. "Especially now."

"Because of her." She says, her voice thick.

He doesn't reply.

"Because I am the mother of your daughter, who you love. But can you love me for _me_?"

Puck looks at the desperate girl beside him and softens a little. "I did love you. Before all of this." he says quietly. "Before I knew you were pregnant, even before we had sex, I loved you."

Quinn smiles a little. "Really?"

"Yeah," he grins, not taking his eyes off her. "Why do you think I tried so hard to get with you?"

Quinn looks away, thinking. "But not now," she says after a moment."You don't love me just as me anymore."

"…I don't know," he admits.

"That's a big 'I don't know Puck."

He shrugs in return, not really sure what she wants him to say. He's getting a headache…

"No. I know, and it's okay. It's better this way." she declares. She sounds more at peace, more confident. Like the old Quinn. She looks back at Beth and takes a deep breath. "She didn't force us together but she is the only thing holding us together now."

He notices that she still refuses to use her name. _Beth._

"And I know that you want to be with someone else." Puck jumps and Quinn looks at him, giving him the full force of her big, light green eyes, "If we didn't have her, we would go our separate ways."

Puck holds her gaze, looking for something, some of that old feeling he got when he looked at her, but he couldn't find it.

There is a long pause. Down the hall, a pair of heels clicks on the marbled floor.

"So what do you want to do?" he finally asks, as a tall figure approaches the couple.

It's Shelby Corcoran, Rachel's mom and coach of Vocal Adrenaline.

Quinn and Puck exchange confused glances.

"Which one is yours?" the older woman asks, looking through the glass at the sleeping babies.

"What are you doing here?" Quinn asks.

"I see her now," Shelby continues. She smiles, "She looks like you. Does she have a name?"

"No," Quinn replies.

"Beth," Puck says assertively.

_She is still my daughter. My Beth._

"Pretty," Shelby says, "I like that name. Beth..."

At that moment, Quinn straightens up, looking at Shelby with newfound understanding in her eyes.

"What do you want?" Quinn asks, looking for reaffirmation.

"…I heard that, there was a little girl here who needed a mother." Shelby answers quietly, "And I'd really like to be there for her."

And then, a most peculiar thing happens. Beth starts wiggling around in her incubator at the same moment that the two women smile and nod to each other, already thinking of all the arrangements to be made. Also, in that precise moment, Puck feels something inside him break.

He turns away from the women making plans and takes one last, long look at his beautiful daughter, knowing it will probably be the last time he'll ever see her.

_My daughter…my daughter…_

_I love you, Beth. Do you hear me? You were loved._

_Goodbye._

…

Scene 5: WMHS

The two weeks between Regional's and the last day of school flew by faster than anyone expected. Finals came and went, tears were shed (not by Danielle, mind you) and friends prepared to say goodbye.

In a show of appreciation for Mr. Schu, Rachel suggested that they all go around and say one thing that Glee club changed in their lives. Some of them were really deep, others not so serious, but they were all honest with each other for the first time since…ever.

Danielle really, really wanted to say something real and un-cheesy, but she found that real moments are, more often than not, overly cheesy.

"I didn't have a home," she says quietly, looking at her feet, "A place I could feel safe in, and people I could count on..." Everyone's hearts go out to her as she speaks. Then she takes a deep breath. "Well, most of the time." Danielle shoots a mock glare at Santana across the stage.

That gets some chuckles.

After the show, the kids go their separate ways, showing that, without Glee club, there are no more ties to keep them together. It was really sad, actually.

But that's life, she guessed.

It's the last day of school and Danielle has decided to skip all of her classes (who cares now, anyway?) and spends the day in the choir room instead. The room is almost bare and, unfortunately, the band has taken all of their instruments away. Danielle sighs in disappointment and sits by the piano instead. She really wanted to play guitar one last time in the choir room before saying goodbye. She's considered buying her own now that she doesn't run a household anymore, but she knows that without Stroker's she's still in the crunch for college money. Maybe someday.

So, Danielle takes a seat on the piano bench and starts fiddling with the keys. She surprises herself by coming up with a little tune that doesn't sound half bad. She plays it over and over, tweaking in and trying to remember which keys her fingers hit. Danielle concentrates so hard on her piece that she is completely caught off guard when someone starts strumming a guitar from the other side of the room.

She stops playing and whips around to see Puck sitting in one of the little chairs with a guitar on his lap and a case beside him. He grins at her evilly.

"Whoa." She says, "You gave me a heart attack, Puckerman."

"Pretty sure you'd need a heart before it got attacked, Moretti."

She grins then gestures to the spot where the band used to be. "They took my guitar."

"No they didn't. I have it." he says with a smirk.

Danielle turns on the bench, drawing her legs up and rolls her eyes him. "You stole their guitar, didn't you?"

"No. I brought you one." He says, his grin widening when her mouth drops open. He turns and opens the case beside him, and inside sits an acoustic guitar.

Danielle is frozen to her seat. "What? No way." She says incredulously.

"Come take a look at it."

She rushes over to the case and looks at the gift. It's old and worn out, not at all like Puck's sleek black one, but Danielle loves it. In the corner of the body, Danielle notices that someone wrote "DM" in black sharpie. She has one guess as to who…

"You bought this for me?" she asks, surprised and more than a little pleased.

"_Got_ it for you. Don't ask." He says when she shoots him a look.

"Okay…I love it so much that I'm gonna let this slide. But-" she asks, shooting him a side glance, "-why?"

"What? I thought you'd like it."

"I do. But why now?"

Puck leans towards her, giving her his patent 'I'm going to bombard you with the full force of my lustrous eyes now' stare. "Because I think that if we didn't practice together over the summer we'd forget everything we learned." He says. His tone tells Danielle that his words have more weight than he implies and she immediately understands what he is trying to say.

"Oh." She says, her eyes going downcast. "Didn't we agree to talk about this-"

"After Quinn had Beth. Well, she did."

"Yeah, but…so soon? I know you decided not to keep her," Puck's happy expression falters for an instant, "but doesn't Quinn still need you? I mean you two-"

"Have nothing more to say. She's tired with me and I'm done with her."

"I don't know…" Danielle says. She shakes her head and look away from him, considering what to do.

Puck takes her hand, carefully. "I don't want her. I haven't wanted her for a long time. I want _you_." He says sincerely. "As soon as you will let me, I want to be with you."

The corners of her mouth turn up and she looks at him carefully, always carefully. But he seems-is- sincere and she knows that the only thing holding her back is herself.

_Am I ready?_

The look he is giving her makes her stomach swoop and her skin tingle. She wants this, too. She really does. She doesn't know what will happen with her, with him, with them, but she supposes its time they found out.

She leans in closer to him and looks deep into his hazel eyes. "Okay." She finally says softly. "Okay," she repeats and then kisses him. Though it's been the first time they've kissed in months, they seem to remember exactly what to do. It was as if they never took a break.

Puck responds enthusiastically, as usual, and pulls her closer to him to deepen the kiss.

"Mm-hm." Someone clears their throat and the two break apart. Mr. Schu, is standing in the doorway looking at the couple in mock disappointment, but the disapproval doesn't reach his eyes.

"Shouldn't you two be in class?" he asks, brows raised.

Puck and Danielle can't hide their grins.

"You're kidding, right?" Puck says and Mr. Schu chuckles.

"We were just…saying goodbye to the choir room." Danielle offers, making Puck snicker. She elbows him. "Well, _I_ was."

"That won't be necessary Danielle." Mr. Schu says, his face alight with excitement and joy. "Figgins gave Glee club one more year!"

"What?!" Puck and Danielle both sit up straight and celebrate with their teacher. "You're kidding?"

"No, he's serious. I'm going to tell the kids at rehearsal today." Mr. Schu grins.

"That's fantastic! Really. Wow." Danielle says, "So…next year?"

"I'll be here. And I expect you two to be, too."

"'Course." Puck says, pulling Danielle towards him. "It's the only class we'll ever have together. Plus, you still have to see Danielle play." He says, gesturing to the guitar.

Mr. Schu looks surprised. "I didn't know you played guitar, Danielle."

"I'm learning," she says modestly.

"Slowly but surely," Puck mutters to her.

"That's great!" their teacher enthuses. "Actually, would you mind helping me out with a little number for the club today? I thought it'd be a good idea to send them off with a song like you guys did for me."

"Sure," Puck shrugs, "What is it?"

…

Puck and Danielle sit side by side, in the choir room, waiting giddily for the other kids to arrive. When the bell finally rings, they lounge back in their chairs and wait, trying to look nonchalant. The kids all come in, moping and silent. Danielle notices how each one looks all around the room as the go through the doorway, as if they were trying to memorize it. Puck notices how Danielle's eyes sparkle when she is trying to hold back a smile.

Once everyone is seated, Mr. Schu lets them sit in suspense for a few moments before his face break into a huge grin. "We have another year!" he declares and the room erupts in screams of joy and conversation.

As everyone celebrates, Puck and Danielle just exchange grins. He pokes her in the side teasingly and she hunches over, giggling, before pinching his arm in retaliation.

This little display of affection was not lost to Kurt or Quinn, who both smile at the new couple. They both knew it would happen eventually and are glad that their friends are happy.

"Now I want you guys to take the summer off and have some fun." Mr. Schu says as Puck waggles his eyebrows suggestively at Danielle. "Glee club will be waiting right here for you when you come back. And on that note, I would like to perform a little song for you beings you all sang a _wonderful_ song for me. So, Puck, Danielle? If you're ready."

Danielle and Puck grab their guitars and take their seats beside Mr. Schu, who is playing a ukulele.

"Ready?" Mr. Schu asks them and they nod back.

Their fingers start moving on Mr. Schu's count, with Mr. Schu and Puck taking the melody and Danielle filling in some chords.

Puck and Mr. Schu sing the first part together.

_Ooooh Oooh Oooh Ooooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooooh Oooooooh…_

Then Danielle joins in, singing in a slightly different pitch.

_Ooooh Oooh Oooh Ooooh Ooh Ooh Ooh Ooooh Oooooooh…_

Mr. Schu takes over the songs then and Danielle concentrates on what her hands are doing.

_Somewhere, over the rainbow, way up high_

_There's a land that I dreamed of,_

Puck joins in.

_once in a lullaby._

Then, the three of them harmonize.

_Somewhere over the rainbow, skies are blue_

_And the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true_

_Ooooh_

In the little guitar feature, Danielle's hand slips and she starts to trip over the notes. Puck just smiles encouragingly at her and tries to help her figure it out. Once she's back on track, he leans over and steals a kiss on her cheek, making her grin at him. The other kids look about as surprised at this display as they did when Sue Sylvester congratulated them on their loss at Regional's. Some things never changed.

The boys sing together,

_Someday I will wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me_

Danielle comes back in to end the tune together.

_Where troubles melt like lemon drops, high above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me_

_Oh, somewhere over the rainbow, bluebirds fly_

_Birds fly over the rainbow, why then oh, why can't I…_

The song ends and the kids clap politely. Danielle can see tears in some of their eyes, including Kurt's. She gives him a big smile and he gives her a watery grin in return. She is suddenly jerked away, however, by Puck who pulls her next to him.

"That wasn't half bad, Moretti." He murmurs into her ear. "You still need a little work though."

She gives him a flirtatious grin. "Then it's a good thing we have all summer to practice," she replies, before sneaking him a kiss.

And even though she is ready for summer, for the first time in her life Danielle can't wait to see what next year brings.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	12. Chapter 12

_I do not own glee. _

**2:1 A New Year**

Scene 1: Sandy Point Lake

The sun shines down on the murky waters of Sandy Point Lake brightly on the early September day. Not even the fresh air coming from the park surrounding the lake could eliminate the heat hanging in the air. Whenever someone tried to cross the sand on the shore, they'd end up hopping and jumping around on its hot surface, making surprised noises and causing the younger kids to laugh at their ridiculousness.

Danielle lies contentedly on the water, floating on a lounger and trying one last time to get a decent tan before the school years starts. So far, all she got over the summer was burned. She floats with her eyes closed, her muscles relaxed and listens to the sounds of the lake.

Splash!

_A child going down the water slide… _she guesses, trying to predict the cause of the noises she hears. It is a popular pastime of hers at the lake.

"Ack! Ooh! Eee! Ow! Ow!"

_Another woman crossing the sand…_

"WAAHHH! WAAAHHHHHHH!"

She cringes. _That baby finally woke up…_

SPLASH!

_An _adult_ went down the slide..._

"Haha! Hahahaha!" guffaws a voice Danielle would know anywhere.

"God, stop! You're embarrassing me!" shrieks another familiar, female voice.

_A _boyfriend_ went down the water slide… _she corrects herself, grinning at Finn's antics and Rachel's obvious distress.

"Oh, come on Rach! Try it! It's fun!" the boy tells his girlfriend.

"Maybe we should just throw her down." Suggests the other boy.

"Not a bad idea." She hears Kurt mutter from his spot next to Danielle.

"Mhmm." Danielle agrees, still listening to the argument.

The couple bicker, but it's harmless. Finn usually gives in at the end. But then, Danielle notices the absence of the third voice. Suddenly, she feels the lake rippling underneath her.

"Oh, no. No-no-no-NO!" She shrieks on the last word as her lounger is suddenly flipped over and she falls into the green water.

She resurfaces quickly, frowning at her hysterical boyfriend.

"Hahaha! How-how did you know I was coming?" he asks between chuckles.

She fixes her hair and rolls her eyes. "When you stopped talking, I realized the lake was a little too quiet." she say in fake annoyance.

"I couldn't resist." Puck says, swimming closer to her, suddenly serious. "Seeing you lying out in that suit…" He hooks his finger on the braided chord around her neck and pulls her closer, eyeing her in her black bikini appreciatively. "I had to get you in the water."

"And why's that?" Danielle says, looking into his hazel eyes and trying to hold back a smile.

"So I could do this," Puck says, leaning in for a kiss.

Danielle kisses him back slowly at first, but then deepens this kiss, moving her hands up her boyfriend's chest-

"Get a room." comes a sharp voice.

Puck frowns in annoyance as Danielle leans around him to stick her tongue out at Kurt.

The small boy rolls his eyes (even from behind his sunglasses, Danielle can tell) and starts paddling himself to shore, just as pale as he was when he came out.

"I second that!" Burt calls from where he and Carole stand on the beach. How the hell he heard Kurt's reprimand was beyond Danielle, but she grins over at him and Carole. Burt's face is mockingly-stern while Carole's is bright with a smile. "Lunch is ready!" he calls from behind the campsite grill.

Finn and Rachel start swimming towards the shore while Kurt hops across the sand, all of them anxious to eat. Danielle watches them affectionately.

The moments where they all hung out over the summer were rare, but very pleasant. They'd go on picnics, baseball games, swimming at the lake. It was awesome, and Danielle really felt like she'd gotten closer to Burt, Carole and Finn during these moments. Rachel…not so much.

Though Rachel was admittedly more polite in the presence of Burt and Carole, she still annoyed the crap out of Danielle and she suspected that Burt shared the sentiment, which pleased her to no end.

Unfortunately, visits from Rachel were common occurrence, and often, Mercedes and some of the other Glee girls would come over, too. Burt, Finn and Danielle weren't always thrilled with the constant barrage of guests, but Kurt and Carole always wanted to have the girls over. Puck was also invited to these get-together's, too, and Danielle and Finn were always happier when he decided to drop by.

Danielle and Puck hung out almost every day over the summer, and, honestly, it wasn't the least bit stifling. Danielle had thought that after two weeks, Puck would start to drift away a little and spend less time with her, but he never seemed to want to. Their summer was filled with motorcycle rides, swims in pools that Puck cleaned and time alone at Puck's house, watching television or doing…other things. Many of which Danielle was completely new to, others...not so much.

Let's just say, Puck had gotten in contact with Sandy Ryerson at the end of the school year and spent some of his savings so he and Danielle could re-visit Middle School again. Just once. Twice…Three times?

_Oh, whatever._ Danielle thinks. _It's done know. It was just for fun._

Still, Danielle secretly liked it best when it was just her, Burt, Carole, Finn and Kurt. Puck was still a little too uncomfortable around Burt to hang with them like a family, but they'd watch movies together, play trivia and even try cooking (well, Carole and Kurt would cook while Danielle observed and Finn and Burt watched baseball). It was…really nice.

"You still with me, Moretti?" Puck asks, talking in Danielle's ear.

"Yeah, yep, right here." Danielle replies cheerily, breaking out of her reverie.

Puck raises his brows. "Well someone's in a good mood."

"Never better." She assures him and kisses him again. He responds immediatley.

After she pulls back, Puck's eyes are still half closed. "C'mon…" he rumbles in protest.

Danielle laughs. Then, realizing how much she just wants to be alone with Puck at that moment, she leans into his ear. "How 'bout we go get some pizza, tiger?" she says flirtatiously.

Puck's small frown slowly turns into a grin. "Sounds perfect." He says, then swoops down and lifts Danielle out of the water, cradling her in his arms bridal style and carrying her to shore. She wiggles in his grasp, but he just holds her tighter.

"'Bout time." Kurt grumbles at Danielle when they reach the campsite.

"How many burgers you want, Danielle?" Burt asks.

"Actually, I think we're gonna skip out and get some pizza?" Danielle says, questioningly.

Burt turns around and looks at her as if he is personally offended. "But I made burgers!"

"-And salad." Carole adds, smiling at Rachel appeasingly. Wouldn't want the only vegetarian to feel left out.

"I know!" Danielle says, knowing Puck wouldn't argue with Burt. "But this new place just opened up and it's our last night before school starts…"

"Do you have extra clothes, sweetie?" Carole asks, looking at Danielle reproachfully in her bathing suit.

"She won't be needing them…" Puck mumbles quietly behind Danielle.

She resists the urge to elbow him.

"Mhmm." Danielle replies, bouncing on the balls of her feet. "So…"

"Let 'em go, Burt." Finn says. Danielle knows he's just saying that because he wants Puck's burgers but she winks at him anyway.

Burt sighs and waves his hand. "Ah, go on. But be home by curfew!" he yells after the couple as they make their escape. "It's a school night!"

"Ugh, don't remind me." Puck grunts.

Danielle grins mischievously at him, pulling on her faded jean shorts and black tank top over her bathing suit and then hops into her converse, no socks. Puck straddles his bike and offers Danielle the spare helmet that had practically become hers. She clambers on behind him and leans her head on his shoulder.

"And off we go!" she says and he starts the bike and takes off.

...

Scene Two: Puckerman House

Somehow, the heat of that day even manages to invade the small, dark bedroom despite the many attempts made to keep it out. A curtain was pulled over the window, the ceiling fan turned on and the door to the room closed to keep some cool air in…and to keep people out.

They were most concerned in keeping people out.

The young couple lay with their limbs entwined on the narrow bed. If not for their different skin tones, they could easily have been mistaken for one person. The sheets are bundled at the bottom of the mattress and the blankets had been thrown off months ago when the boy had first brought her here. Both of the their tank tops are on the top of pile of blankets, happily removed in the humid room.

The girl's auburn hair sticks to her shoulder blades and sweat beads on the boy's forehead, but they're too preoccupied with each other to care. Their hands wander over each other with no reservations and they kiss and touch with confidence built from over two months of practice. Despite her former fears of being touched in such a way, the girl loves the way this boy makes her feel and drops her walls to let him in. She encourages him with teasing touches and kisses but it's unnecessary. He's already there.

They were comfortable with each other and were never afraid of going too far. To them, there was no such thing. There was only do and don't do.

At least, they used to think there was.

The couple's moods are light with playfulness, giddiness and desire and they are content to just stay there for hours and hours.

But then, something shifts.

When she looks back on it, the girl cannot tell where exactly things go wrong. She can't remember where he touched her, how she reacted or how he held onto her when she broke down. All she can think of the way her father touched her against her will in the same spot only a few months before.

She freezes, suddenly feeling as if there are a ton of stones sitting on top of her, slowly crushing her to death. She can't breathe and starts to fight back, even though she knows it's futile.

Because, in the end, she always loses.

...

Danielle's loud, heavy breathing is the only noise in the dark room. She lies curled up on the small bed, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut as she tries to hold back her hysteria. Her arms are dotted with goose bumps and the dark freckles all over her body stand out against her sickly pale skin.

Puck stands next to the bed, staring at Danielle's heaving back as she tries to compose herself. His arms are still raised above his head in shock, as if to say 'Look, I'm not touching you anymore! It's okay!' But the expression on his face makes it clear that he knows it's not okay.

Puck stares down at his girlfriend, his expression mixed with concern for her and frustration at being unable to help her. At never being able to help her.

After a few minutes, Danielle's breathing slows down and she slowly sits up. Puck relaxes his arms, but doesn't approach her yet. She rubs her throat, acknowledging that it was a little sore from her hysterical outbursts. She winces in shame. _What if his mother had heard me?_ The very thought makes her flush with self-loathing and embarrassment. Her fingers twirl around the black chorded necklace Puck had given her a few weeks before; thought she loved it, playing with it had become a new nervous habit of hers.

Finally, she turns around examines her boyfriend for a moment, wondering, not for the first time, what is going through his head. _Is he as sick of this as I am? Does he hate me? _

Without voicing her fears, Danielle reaches down and picks up her shirt, puts it on and leans back against the wall. Puck takes the cue and sits next to her so close that their shoulders and legs touch. He takes her hand gently, and gives it a small squeeze. They both stare straight ahead.

"…Was it worse than the last time?" she finally asks, her voice soft.

Puck shakes his head and closes his eyes. "God, Nell…" he says, his voice also hoarse.

She also closes her eyes. "Please. Just tell me. Was it worse?"

It's awhile before he answers, "No. You didn't scream as much, and the seizure-shaking thing didn't happen this time either."

"And…" she prompts, wanting, _needing_ to hear more good news.

"And…um…" he thinks for a moment. "I knew to jump back as soon as it started this time, so it didn't last as long and you didn't fight me. You were breathing fine, too." He says this with great relief, recalling the first time, when she sounded like she was choking and screamed for him to get off her.

_No. Not me. Her father. _he reminds himself. Suddenly, he is back in that school hallway, reliving that moment when he saw that man attacking her…And then later, when he found out about Danielle and what he did to her…

_He's the reason behind all of this. _Puck thinks furiously.

They sit in silence for a minute, giving each other time to take everything in.

"Danielle, I don't think we should do this anymore." He finally says. She sighs in exasperation. "Pushing yourself into doing this…it isn't right."

"But it's what I want." Danielle insists, looking him in the eyes. She winces, "Ok, that came out wrong. I don't want _this_, but I want _you_. I want to be able to do this with you the right way. Really. Besides, you said so yourself. It's getting better-"

"I don't want to see you like this anymore." He says with suppressed emotion.

_I can't take it,_ he thinks to himself.

She snorts and snaps, "Oh yeah, like I _enjoy_ this."

"I never said that!" he shoots back indignantly. "I see what you go through. You may be the one feeling it, but I'm here watching you every time. Every damn time! And I can't do anything to stop it! In fact, I'm the one triggering it! How do you think I feel about _that_?"

She looks at him, but he won't meet her gaze. They both breathe heavily.

"I can't do this to you. I won't." he says after a moment, trying to sound cooled down but sincere at the same time.

She thinks for awhile before answering in a calm tone, "I know this sucks, but if we want to fix it then we have to keep trying, right?" Her gaze softens and meets his. She runs her hand over his Mohawk affectionately and rests on his cheek. "I _want_ to keep trying. It's not easy, I know but…" she gives him a meaningful look. "I want my body to be my own again, so I can do what _I_ want with it. And I need your help. You're the only one that can help. The only one that I _want_ to help me with this."

His hazel gaze goes right through her and she suddenly feels exhausted.

"Just…please." She finishes, her dark green eyes pleading with him.

There is a long pause. The whirring fan and singing birds, which were inaudible before from all the extra noise, are brought to Puck's attention and his gaze seems to go everywhere but on Danielle. Finally his eyes do land on her and he sighs.

"We're not making this a weekly thing. I'm talking some space between these little…trysts. Three times in a month and a half was a little too much." She sighs in relief and he gives her a half-hearted smile. "At least, just until we figure this out. Then you're all mine all the time."

She smiles back and raises her brows. "No, I'll be my own. You can just be an occasional visitor."

Puck chuckles and wraps his arm around her shoulders and jabs her playfully in the stomach. She howls in shock and tackles him, putting the light mood back into their last afternoon before the school year begins. Even if they're both sort of faking it.

Scene 3: WMHS

"Focus on me, on me. Ok! Hi! I'm Jacob Ben Israel here giving you the lowdown on Glee's Big Gay Summer. Here's Noah Puckerman-"

"Watch it dweeb. It's Puck."

"Confirm or deny the rumor that, because you knocked up Quinn Fabray last year, you got a vasectomy over the summer." Jacob goes on obnoxiously in his nasally voice. But Puck lets his rudeness slide.

"It's true," Puck answers smoothly as he wipes his pits with a towel. After a hard day of football practice, his mind was on going over the Hummel's to pick up Danielle for dinner. But first, he needs to reaffirm his reputation in this school with a quick interview. "It was the responsible thing to do." He continues, flashing the camera a quick smile.

"And what about your feelings towards Miss Fabray? Our interview with her showed that she is, quote, 'ready to start fresh'."

"Yeah, well, I already have." Puck smirks.

"Ah. Yes. So the rumors about you and former Cheerio Danielle Moretti…"

"One-hundred percent true." Puck confirms, thinking of Danielle walking through the hallways, proudly wearing the necklace he's gotten her. Showing everyone that she was his…

"So it's true that you're no longer the 'Puckasaurous'." Jacob interrupts his thoughts.

Puck stops moving, reeling at the statement. "Wait what?"

"The Puckzilla, the Puckster, a Sex Shark." Jacob sniffles and adjusts his glasses on his nose, "Basically, you're neutered, Puckerman. Off the market and out of the girl's minds."

The camera pan to Puck's worried expression. He looks as if the thought of being unavailable hadn't occurred to him before that moment.

Noah Puckerman found himself in a real relationship with rules and expectations, and he wasn't sure what to think about that just yet.

...

"I'm here with three of the biggest losers in Glee club," Jacob starts, ignoring the noises of protest that Kurt and Finn make at the insult, "Finn Hudson, the once-all star quarterback now the leader of a failing Gleek club, Kurt Hummel, the most boyish looking girl in this school and Danielle Moretti, who was formerly the top he-she in this school but has lately turned into an ex-Cheerio sex goddess. Talk about rags to riches, hubba hubba."

All three interviewees screw up their faces in disgust and Kurt and Danielle start to walk away when Finn desperately pulls them back.

"He's been following me all day," the tall boy mutters to his friends, "he says he won't leave until he gets the interview. Plus, you still owe me for making me eat that bug at the park." he says to Danielle.

Danielle snorts. "I didn't make you eat it…I just didn't tell you it was on your sandwich. That's fair game."

"Whatever!" Finn says, pleadingly, "just please-"

"Fine, fine!" Kurt snaps, annoyed with the whole situation while Danielle just rolls her eyes and puts on her best glare for the cameraman.

"Now, rumor has it that you three are living together." Jacob starts in his nasally voice. "Our readers want to know if there is some kind of sick threesome going on there or are you two ladies just taking turns with Mr. Hudson, here?"

Danielle lunges towards Jacob, but Finn pulls her back. "Hey, hey, hey!" he yells. Kurt takes her off Finn hands and twists her away from the obnoxious reporter, coaxing her to relax. "Danielle! It's not worth it. Okay? It's not worth it." he tells her.

"Um, none of us are into each other." Finn explains lamely to the camera. "And I-I don't live with them. My mom is just dating Kurt's dad."

"And they are very happy, too!" Kurt calls from over Finn's shoulder, still struggling with Danielle. "So leave us alone you ignoramus!"

"Question for Miss Moretti…" Jacob continues, unfazed by Finn's or Kurt's words.

"Only if you want your face punched in, maggot." Danielle spits at him resentfully from behind Finn.

The boy waggles his brows at the camera. "Kinky." Then his eyes go back to Danielle and his face turns serious. "Would you actually punch me? Like, on camera?"

Danielle's face screws up. "You're disgusting."

"How do you feel about your boyfriend's pool cleaning business?" he inquires, changing the subject.

Finn steps away, but stays next Danielle, watching her warily. She shakes her head and folds her arms. "Why would I care about that?" He made good money and worked whenever he felt like it. What was there to say?

"Well, you know," Jacob starts, "he spends all day shirtless, perfectly tanned and muscled, attending to the needs of horny cougars." The three Glee clubbers stare uncomfortably at Jacob as he licks his lips suggestively. "Not to mention the fact that he spent his most of his money on a vasectomy-"

"He what?!" Kurt shrieks, turning to Danielle, who is equally shocked. "You said you two weren't-"

"Kurt! _Shut up_!" she warns through clenched teeth, eyeing Jacob significantly.

The boy eyes Jacob's hungry expression and nods, tight-lipped.

"Ah." Jacob says, taking in Danielle's reaction. "He didn't tell you about his little operation, did he? I wonder what other secrets he's keeping…beings apparently he isn't getting any from you."

Finn and Kurt both reel back at Jacob's harsh words, remembering what they found out about Danielle the previous year. What nobody outside the Glee club except for Burt and Carole knew. Danielle, for her part, just stands perfectly still, glaring Jacob with all her might. It must have had some affect on the boy because he steps back and his upper lip quivers.

"Okay that's enough." Kurt says angrily while Finn watches, open-mouthed and not believing how the situation had turned out. "You need to go. Now." The small boy commands, shoving the camera kid and Jacob away. He turns to the shocked Danielle, "Go to class, sweetie, I'll see you there."

Danielle nods numbly and gives Jacob one last scorching look before stalking off. Finn, looking very dazed takes off in the same direction.

"Wait! We're not done yet; we still need to do your interview, Miss Hummel." Jacob calls after Kurt.

Kurt shakes his head in disbelief and spins around, getting away from the annoying pest that did nothing but insult him and his family.

"No comment. No comment. No comment." He keeps repeating over and over, ignoring all of Jacob's attempts to ask him a question. "I'm busy. Go away." he says as he heads into the boy's lavatory, knowing the reporter couldn't follow him there with his camera.

Not wanting to miss class, Kurt doesn't stay long and comes out a few minutes later to find Jacob and his crony still waiting for him.

Kurt decides to utilize the situation to practice his acting skills. And to get a message through everyone's thick skulls.

Plastering a calm expression on his face, he walks right up to the frizzy haired boy and lets him have a piece of his mind. "You know what, Jacob? It doesn't take courage to go on the Internet and tear people down. But you know what does take courage? Standing up and singing about something." Kurt stares right into the camera for the ultimate effect. "So here's a message for everyone that reads your blog. Next time, instead of posting an anonymous comment online, say what you want to say _to my face_!"

It's a very moving speech and both boys know it, but unfortunately, Kurt doesn't even have time to enjoy small victory before a red slushie is thrown into his face by a jock in a letterman jacket. The ice gets all over his new navy blazer and ruins his perfectly styled hair. But Kurt, being used to this crude form of torture, doesn't even worry about his clothes yet. No, the first thing on his mind is that the camera is still rolling. He is now in improvising mode.

He very quickly and calmly wipes the ice away from his eyes and puts his hands on his hips, standing erect. "I don't suppose there's any way you could just cut out that last part, is there?" he says, sounding extremely professional, even when covered in freezing, red ice.

...

The first month of the school year goes by painfully slow. While the Glee club goes through growing pains, Danielle finds herself in an odd position with the two most important people in her life.

Kurt had changed a lot over the summer. Being in Glee club seems to have helped him come into his own over the past year. In some ways, he and Danielle are closer than ever, but in others they are drifting further apart. The biggest wedge between them was Puck. Not only did he cause the two friends to spend less time together, but Danielle's relationship made Kurt feel more aware than ever how lonely he was.

Whenever Rachel or Puck made one of their frequent visits over the summer, Kurt insisted on having as many friends as he could come along, too. When Danielle asked him why, he said he just didn't want to feel left out.

"That's bull." Danielle had said, eyeing her friend skeptically. "I swear you and Rachel talk more than her and Finn do. And Puck doesn't talk to me nearly as much as he does to Finn."

"Probably because I rarely see you two using your mouths to _talk_." Kurt said primly.

Danielle made a face at him.

"Seriously," the boy continues, "me and Rachel _argue_ all the time and you're always talking to Finn and Puck about…well I don't know what but I know I don't understand it. And I know you're always there to hear what I have to say but" Kurt shrugged. "I just…need someone who'll talk back. You know? Someone who understands me."

Danielle pursed her lips, thinking for a moment.

"I'm sorry, Kurt," she finally said, putting her arm around his shoulder. "We…just…We're different. And sometimes, it's easier to talk to the other guys about dumb stuff than it is to talk about Patti LePoe with you... I guess I'm not being a good friend, huh?"

Kurt sighed sadly, not even bothering to correct her about Ms. Lupone. "No. You're fine. I mean, you try but I need someone who really _gets_ me. And so far, there haven't been many." He paused awhile before speaking again. "Do you think there's someone out there, you know, who wants someone like me? Like…you and Puckerman…he may not show it a lot but he obviously _likes_ you. You have things in common…" He shrugged. "I guess that's why I kinda hate having him around. Jealousy is an ugly monster."

Danielle thought over her words carefully before answering. "Ok, listen. I don't believe in soulmates, that there's exactly one person out there for everyone, because honestly that sounds horrible and impossible, not to mention weird. Relationships take work and _time_." She looks into his blue-gray eyes. "For some it takes longer to build those kind of bonds than others. You are amazing, Kurt, and there are plenty of amazing people out there that will get you, hopefully without being 'Kurt carbon-copies'. So…just don't rush it. And if it helps, I'll spend time with you more often." She smiles at him and waggles her eyebrows. "We need more time together to go boy-hunting."

Kurt huffed out a laugh and hugged his friend warmly.

"…I noticed that you don't mind Rachel being around here-" Danielle started.

"Because Finn is as comfortable with Rachel as Puck is around my dad." Kurt replied.

They both have to laugh at that, remembering how shocked they were when Puck first met Burt and he didn't say more than ten words all night.

Danielle nodded and said through her laughter, "Yep that-that sounds about right."

It amazed Danielle how calm Puck had been whenever he was around Burt or Carole. She knew for a fact he wasn't like that around his mom. However, she's starting to think that it's just his way. Ever since they got back to school, Puck has been more withdrawn and less talkative. Sometimes, she feels like they're right where they started last year, but as soon as they leave the building, he's the boy she spent the summer with again. It was strange, but not bad. He didn't seem to be ashamed to be with her and she didn't watch him all of the time like Rachel did to Finn, but she noticed that he didn't flirt with the other girls at school like he used to. And God knows how supportive he's been with her…issue. Danielle couldn't have asked for anything better than what the acceptance and compassion he gave her.

So she chalks his cool exterior up to him maturing from a delinquent to a young man and lets him be.

Kurt, on the other hand, is being more outspoken than ever before. He almost got himself suspended one week for snapping at Mr. Schu. Needless to say, Burt was not at all pleased about that. Danielle and Finn backed him up, though, testifying that Mr. Schu was probably just having a bad day because Kurt did nothing wrong. To be honest, Danielle loved the idea of Kurt coming further out of his shell and encouraged it in as many ways as she could.

Thinking back over the summer in her school-day daydreams, Danielle lingers on memories with her new family, but her thoughts always end up straying to her boyfriend and of everything they did over the summer, and how much more she wants to get to do with him in the future.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	13. Chapter 13

_I do not own glee. Songs are "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel and "You Found Me" by the Fray._

**2:2 Hold On**

Scene One: Football Game

Friday nights. The best night of the whole goddamn week. After only being in school for a month, Danielle is sick of it. The work, the drama, the bitchy girls that are constantly hanging around Puck. Not that he really pays them any mind, of course. He values his life too much.

Anyway, Friday nights are Danielle's favorite time because she is able to just let all her stress go and hang out with her family and friends. It's been a Hummel house tradition that they all have dinner together on Friday nights ever since Kurt was little. When she first moved in, Friday nights were like any other night of the week; she and Kurt hardly went anywhere those first few weeks and never missed one. Now, with Finn and Carole included in the family agenda, they all went to the WMHS football games Friday nights and went out for dinner afterwards. Danielle spent half the game trying to explain what was going on to Kurt, who had very little interest in football even though he was once the best kicker the team ever had.

Now, everyone knows that the football team…leaves something to be desired talent-wise. Even Puck admits that hardly any of them have any skill in the game and Finn's the only one looking to play after high school. Danielle has to admit though, her boy looks good on that field wearing with a big white '23' on his back.

This Friday night was an especially odd game. Somehow, (after a lot of drama, naturally) the new football coach let Artie on the team. Artie. Who's in a wheelchair.

Turns out, it wasn't such a bad idea. In his special chair, he plowed over the other players and the Titans won their first game in…ever.

At the end of the game, Danielle screens the field for number 23, but sees instead Finn kneeling on the grass, pointing up at the sky. The weirdo. She shakes her head in exasperation and ignores his antics.

She feels Kurt tugging her arm next to her. "Hey. I have to go to the mall to pick something up. You want to come?"

Danielle pauses. "I thought we were going out for pizza?" she asks him.

"I know, but," Kurt looks at his dad who was apparently listening in on the conversation. "I have to get these Grey's Anatomy DVD's. They might be sold out tomorrow!" he pleads with his father.

Burt's chest heaves. "I guess Carole and I can take Finn out tonight..." he muses.

"Um, he'll probably be out with the team tonight, sweetie." Carole cuts in, "You know…since they won." She smiles incredulously on the last word.

Burt gives an exaggerated sigh. "Then I guess it's just you and me tonight, hon." He says, putting his arm around Carole's waist.

Danielle and Kurt scrunch their noses at the gesture…but they both think that Burt and Carole are adorable.

"So is that a 'yes'?" Kurt asks his dad.

"Yeah, yeah. Go have fun."

"Thank you!" Kurt grabs Danielle's hand and they head down the bleachers and into the rushing crowd next to the field.

"Hold on, Kurt. I want to-" Danielle stops mid-sentence when she sees Puck just ahead of them…smiling at a pair of cheerleaders. Before she can react though, he sees her and grins at her excitedly, shoving his way past the girls and coming up to her.

"We won!" he yells, looking like he just won the super bowl instead of his first game in almost three years.

Danielle ignores her suspicion off and smiles back at him brightly. "I know! It was fantastic!"

Then, Puck catches her off guard by swooping down and lifting her off her feet. Then, he starts spinning her around.

"Noah Puckerman what the hell are you doing?" she yells through her laughter.

He lowers her a little so they are face to face. "Come to Azimio's party with me?" he gives her a toothy grin, "It's going to be a good one."

Danielle's breath catches at the completely joyous expression on her boyfriend's face and is about to say that of course she'll go to the party with him when a small noise pulls her back to Earth.

"HmHmm…"

Danielle turns to see Kurt standing a few feet away with a hand on his hip, obviously waiting for her. '_Come on_.' He mouthed at her.

_Kurt._

"Wait, did you say _Azimio's_ party?" Danielle asks Puck, realization dawning on her.

He looks at her confusedly in response.

She sighs. "I can't." Puck's grin falters. "I'm sorry," she continues, "but him and Karofsky have been harassing Kurt a lot lately and I don't want anything to do with them."

"But-"

"Besides, Kurt and I already have plans." Danielle says apologetically, squirming out of Puck's arms. He lets her go and once her feet touch the ground, she rights herself and looks up at him. "Just…go without me. Have fun, okay, and text me tomorrow when you've had enough sleep and we'll do whatever you want. I promise."

Puck doesn't look happy but nods. He's too disappointed to make an innuendo of Danielle's last statement. "Yeah, sure."

Danielle leans in to give him a deep kiss. "Congratulations." She says against his lips, and then pulls back a little, quirking a brow at him. "Don't get too wasted, okay?"

He gives her a sly grin, leans down to her ear and replies, "No promises, babe."

…

Puck never did call her that weekend (too hung-over, just as she suspected he would be) but Monday morning he was right by her side again, walking with her between classes. He didn't seem upset about her missing the party, but assured her that she missed "the sickest party he's ever been to". She listened to his crazy stories and laughed with him but she couldn't help but feel a little guilty for skipping out on him. Kurt hadn't really needed her that night, and, not that she distrusted Puck, but she would have liked to have gone to that party to keep an eye on him. She wouldn't even of had to talk to the other guests; all she wanted to do was hang out with him. When she told Puck this, he assured her that it was fine and that they would just go to the next party together.

"We'll win again." He told her confidently. "No way are we gonna let the others teams kick our asses now!"

And so, drunken parties became the new incentive for winning football games. That's high school for you.

By the time Friday had rolled around again, Danielle was very excited for the game and the possible party afterwards. Kurt, however, was not happy. That night, he was going a little ways out of town to catch a sing-along of the Sound of Music. He was bitter about it though because Danielle refused to go with him this time and Burt was mad at him for skipping out on family night again.

"I don't see the big deal!" Kurt rants in Glee club that afternoon. "I mean, I'm a teenager. I go out on Friday nights!"

"I know." Danielle looks at him from her spot beside Puck. She shifts under Puck's arm. "Just…don't skip again for a while, okay? Next week will come and he'll forget all about it."

"Or you could stop being a wuss and just go." Puck suggests. Danielle smacks him lightly across his chest and Kurt narrows his eyes at him.

The bell rings and for once, Rachel isn't the one to start off the day. Finn immediately jumps up and goes to the front of the room. "Guys," he starts, "Something happened to me, and it's shaken me to my core."

Danielle leans back, a little weirded out by Finn's creepy expression.

"He's coming out." Puck jokes.

Danielle snickers but then catches Kurt's glare and stops. She smacks Puck again but he just grins at her. And she can't help but grin back.

"Well, yes!" Finn continues, making everyone's jaws drop. "There is a man who has recently come into my life…and that man is Jesus Christ."

If Danielle could have frozen any moment of her life, that moment would be it. Just to take a picture of Rachel Berry's expression would have been priceless. However, she herself was too shocked at the moment to do anything.

Finn isn't religious. Burt and Carole say that they're Christians but they don't go to church or anything. And, his controlling girlfriend is Jewish! So where the heck did this come from?

"That's way worse." Puck says.

Danielle has to agree. She hates Bible-freaks more than she hates tattletales and backstabbers and she knows that Kurt does too. Right now, he sits ramrod straight in his seat, looking very uncomfortable.

"I just thought that this week, we could pay tribute to him through music." Finn shrugs, looking to Mr. Schu for support.

"Sorry but if I wanted to sing about Jesus, I'd go to church." Kurt interrupts. "And the reason I don't go to church is because they don't think too much of gay people."

"Or women, or science…" Danielle puts in.

"I don't see anything wrong with getting a little church up in here." Mercedes speaks up, looking very pleased with the idea.

Quinn and a few others readily agree with her. To them, God was like an icon to pay tribute to like Britney Spears or Queen. The idea seemed ridicules to Danielle and one look at Puck told her that he agreed.

Mr. Schu tries to mediate. "Well, maybe we could just do songs about…spiritually, not necessarily Jesus."

Puck scoffs s and shakes his head.

"You got a problem with Jesus?!" Finn snaps at him, the weird look back in his eyes.

Puck keeps his cool, though. "Oh, I got no problem with the guy. I'm a total Jew for Jesus. He's my number one Hebe." he responds. "What I don't like seeing is people using J-Money to cramp everybody else's style." He squeezes his arm around Danielle's shoulders. "It seems to me that _true_ spirituality is about enjoying the life you've been given."

_Whoa_.

Sometimes Danielle thinks that she might actually love that boy.

"I mean, I see God every time I make out with a chick." Puck continues.

…and then something like that happens.

"That doesn't make any sense. In fact it's stupid." Rachel protests.

"Are you calling Mr. Billy Joel stupid?" Puck stands up and starts towards the band. "I'd like to continue my streak of doing only songs by Jewish artists to show you what I mean."

Finn and Mr. Schu take a seat while Puck picks up a guitar.

"Hit it."

The piano starts up and Danielle can't hold back a smile once she recognizes the tune. Puck grins at the kids and starts playing.

_Come out Virginia, don't let me wait.__You Catholic girls start much too late.__  
__Aw, but sooner or later it comes down to fate.__I might as well be the one._

_Well, they showed you a statue, told you to pray.__They built you a temple and locked you away.__Aw, but they never told you the price that you pay__  
__for things that you might have done._

_Only the good die young.__  
__That's what I said,_ _only the good die young.__  
__Only the good die young._

He wanders around, making faces, acting out the lyrics and just performing the hell out of the song. Danielle and everyone else smile at his antics. Everyone, but Kurt who's sour mood is unchangeable.  
_You might have heard I run with a dangerous crowd.__We ain't too pretty, we ain't too proud.__  
__We might be laughing a bit too loud,__aw, but that never hurt no one._

Puck walks right up to the front row and looks at Danielle, who is a little taken aback at the attention.  
_So come on Virginia, show me a sign.__Send up a signal, I'll throw you the line.__  
__The stained-glass curtain you're hiding behind__never lets in the sun.__  
__Darlin', only the good die young.__  
__I tell ya,__only the good die young.__  
__Only the good die young._

Danielle stomach drops as she takes in Puck's message, which she reads loud and clear. He wants to be able to do more with her, both physically and socially, and she's been holding out on him. She shakes it off though and keeps smiling with the rest of the group, but she can't get that thought out of her head. Suddenly, Santana gets up and starts dancing, followed by Brittany, Quinn and Mike.  
_They say there's a heaven for those who will wait.__Some say it's better, but I say it ain't.__  
__I'd rather laugh with the sinners than cry with the saints,__the sinners are much more fun.__  
__You know that only the good die young.__  
__Whoa, oh, baby.__Only the good die young._

_Only the good die young._

Now almost everyone is up out of their seats and Danielle turns to Kurt to dance with, but he's already gone. She spots him by the door with his nose in his phone and rolls her eyes._ He'll get over it, _she thinks, then gets up to dance to her boyfriend's amazing voice.  
_I'm telling you baby.__  
__You know that only the good die young.__  
__Only the good die young._

_Only the good,__only the good die young.__  
__Only the good die young.__  
__Only the good die young._

At the end of the song, everyone claps and cheers for Puck, and he soaks it in, basking in the compliments. Danielle, however, keeps her distance and thinks about what he just told her, about what she needed to do. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to make him happy, to be happy with him. Eventually, Puck's hazel eyes find her green ones and they crinkle in a grin. She smiles back, but it feels hollow. Kurt is still texting furiously in by the door.

_Yes_, Danielle thought. _I'll go with Puck tonight. Kurt can manage one night without me._

That was right before everything fell apart.

Scene 2 Lima Hospital

Danielle is in her last class of the day when she gets the news. Looking back, she thinks about the scared looks on Miss Pillsbury's and Mr. Schu's faces, but at the time, all she could see was Kurt's pale, shocked face and the tears brimming in his blue eyes.

She had barely registered the words "Burt" and "hospital" and worst of all "heart attack".

Kurt and Danielle were whisked away to the hospital straight away. Mr. Schu drove them and Miss Pillsbury in his car. Danielle wanted to ask why he was taking them over, but couldn't find the words. She was just too stressed and shocked and worried…and grateful.

Once they got there, the four of them spoke to a nurse (who didn't have any new information to give them) and waited. They waited for hours. It was horrible. They were the only ones in the tiny corner and the space was way too small. Kurt was a wreck. He didn't say a word to anyone after the nurse left and looked like he was in physical pain. Danielle had never seen so much hurt, so much guilt etched upon his face. And it doesn't even seem like the hugeness of the situation has hit him just yet.

They pace, they sit, they stare and remain silent, waiting for news.

In the middle of waiting, Danielle remembers the football game that night and how Puck and Finn would be looking for them. Not wanting to break the silence or leave Kurt, she sends Puck a quick text explaining the situation, knowing that he'll understand once he reads it.

Knowing that Puck won't get the message until late, Danielle occupies herself by watching Kurt and sneaking glances at Mr. Schu and Miss Pillsbury. Focusing on others helps her keep her cool and Danielle always tries to push off her own pain until she is all by herself. Only then can she grieve. Now she just observes and keeps her mind busy.

At about ten, Danielle gets a text from Puck. It basically said that he understood the situation and offered to come over and wait with them. Danielle declined and thanked him. She promised to let him know if anything changed and to not tell Finn what happened yet. Danielle made a mental note to talk to him tomorrow, not wanting to ruin his Friday night.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, a male nurse comes up to them.

"Where is he?" Kurt immediately asks, speaking for the first time. He hugs himself and lowers his voice. "Is he dead?"

Danielle reaches out for him and holds him tightly. He doesn't pull away this time.

"No, he's alive," the nurse says and she can feel Kurt relax a little, "but I'm sorry I don't have any other good news-"

"I want to see him!" Kurt says shakily and starts towards the hall, but the man steps in front of him, blocking his path.

"He hasn't regained consciousness."

"What do you mean?" Danielle bursts out, sounding panicked. She swallows and composes herself. "I thought he had a heart attack-"

"-brought on by an arrhythmia, which caused a lack of blood flow to his brain. That's what's keeping him comatose."

Kurt's breath falters and his eyes fill with fears. Now he looks scared to death. "I don't understand what you're saying. When is he gonna wake up?"

"I don't know."

He starts shaking in Danielle's arms.

"Can't he just see him? Please?" Danielle pleads with the nurse. "Just let him see him."

The nurse pauses, considering. "Okay." Danielle and Kurt take a synchronized breath in relief. "But you can't stay long tonight," he warns, "I'll give you a schedule with the visiting hours." He turns and starts walking down the hallway with the four other following anxiously behind him.

When they get to the door of room, the nurse leaves them with a nod and promise to be right back. After a moment's hesitation, Kurt opens the door and walks inside. Danielle really, really doesn't want to go in, but knows that she has to. She's a part of them now.

The room is small and has only one occupant who is hidden by a hospital curtain. Kurt carefully pulls back the curtain and inhales deeply. Burt is there, stuffed with tubes, wires and in a blue gown. He takes up most of the bed and the machine next to him beeps, but he looks lifeless and very unsettled. It is not by any means a comforting sight.

"I need a minute." Kurt says finally, sounding more grounded than before. It breaks Danielle out of her reverie and she gives him a look.

"Kurt," Miss Pillsbury starts tentatively, "I really don't think you should be alone right now…"

"Please just give me a moment with my father." The small boy whispers firmly.

After a moment's hesitation, both adults leave. After exchanging a glance with Kurt, Danielle ducks out, too. This is between him and his father now. Later, he would need her, and she owed it to both Burt and him to do whatever she could to help, but right now, he needed to be alone.

In the hallway, Danielle ignores Miss Pillsbury's and Mr. Schu's fussing and instead thinks about what needs to be done once she and Kurt went home and how to best help him get through this one step at a time.

_I'm gonna take care of him, Burt,_ she thinks, not caring if nobody could hear her vow.

_I promise._

Scene 3 WMHS

That weekend was one of the worst in Danielle's life. She and Kurt practically lived at the hospital, only going home to eat and get changed into new clothes. Kurt was absolutely inconsolable most of the time and Danielle had to just let him grieve. It was a very difficult time for both of them, but they got though it and were ready to move through the week, following their normal schedule.

That Monday, they go back to school. Thanks to Miss Pillsbury, Danielle is allowed to leave her classes in school a little early to go all the way across the campus to meet Kurt (their schedules had not been kind to them this year). In Glee club, everyone is very kind and sympathetic towards Kurt and though he doesn't show it, Danielle knows he appreciates it. When Puck comes in, he hugs her but then takes his usual seat in the back. Danielle doesn't join him today, Kurt needs her more. Then Finn comes in.

"What the hell happened?" the tall boy demands to Kurt.

_Oh crap… _Danielle had forgotten to call him over the weekend.

"My dad's in the hospital…" Kurt replies quietly.

"I know. My mom just called me. I feel like I'm the last one to know!"

"Look, it's my fault. I meant to talk to you but I forgot." Danielle cuts in. "But Burt's in the hospital right now and all you can think about is how you didn't find out right away? Are you kidding me?!"

Finn is silent for a moment, his big brown eyes filled with hurt. "I just don't get why you didn't call me…" he says, refusing to drop the subject.

"I'm sorry Finn." Kurt says, but with no fire in his voice. "It didn't occur to me to call you because he's not your father."

"Yeah, well he's the closest I'm ever going to get, okay? I know it might not look like what everyone else has but I thought…we were sorta a family."

Danielle scoffs. "Yeah, we're a family whenever something happens, but every other damn time you're plenty willing to skip out on us!"

"Danielle!" Kurt admonishes, giving her a shocked look and Danielle realizes that she overreacted. Finn looks at the ground, his mouth drawn into a hard line.

The room is silent, watching the "family" drama unfold.

"I'm sorry I-I didn't mean that." Danielle says apologetically to Finn. "I'm just a little frazzled. We all are. I-I'm sorry."

"Look…I guess I just didn't like hearing from strangers that someone that really means a lot to me is in trouble." Finn looks at his siblings. "Family tells family these things, right?"

Kurt examines him for a moment before coming to some decision moves the bag in the chair next to him to make room for Finn. Danielle exhales in relief, hoping that Finn didn't take her words too seriously. She leans over and squeezes his shoulder and he nods back.

Guess that's as good as it's gonna get.

As soon as Mr. Schu brings the club to order, Mercedes steps up and sings a song to help Kurt feel better. It's beautiful and her voice is amazing…but the song was a spiritual and makes the implications of it make Kurt very tense. Danielle watches him from the corner of her eye the whole time, ignoring the plethora of criticms she has about Mercedes song choice. Kurt looks like he's about to burst into tears at any moment. But when the song ends, his eyes are dry.

"Thank you Mercedes," he says, "you're voice is stunning but…I don't believe in God."

"Wait, what?" Suddenly the whole room comes to life. Everyone seems shocked at Kurt's statement and Danielle can't help but be incredulous. _Haven't we been over this?_

"You've all professed your beliefs, I'm just stating mine." Kurt continues, addressing the whole club. "I think God is kinda like Santa Claus for adults. Otherwise, God's kind of a jerk, isn't he? I mean he makes me gay and then has his followers going around telling me it's something I chose." His voice becomes bitter and shakes with emotion. "As if someone would choose to be mocked every single day of their life."

"And right now, I don't want a heavenly father. I want my real one back." He finishes.

"But Kurt, how do you know for sure? You can't prove that there's no God." Mercedes says.

"You can't prove that there isn't a magic teapot floating around on the dark side of the moon with a dwarf inside of it that reads romance novels and shoots lightning out of its boobs." Kurt says with some of his sarcastic bite. "But it seems highly unlikely doesn't it?"

Quinn freaks. "We shouldn't be talking like this! It's not right." She snaps, looking disturbed.

Danielle is about to open her mouth to tell her to can it when Kurt turns to her.

"I'm sorry Quinn." he says and then stands up. "You all can believe whatever you want to, but I can't believe something I don't. I appreciate your thoughts, but I don't want your prayers." Then, he leaves.

Less than a second after his exit, Danielle exchanges a quick glance with Mr. Schu, then gets up and goes after him.

…

It was three days after the Burt's heart attack and only two days after the Glee club incident that the while spirituality issue was brought up again.

For some strange reason, the Glee club was more concerned with Kurt's involvement on Figgins new ban on the spirituality lesson than they were about the feelings of a friend who was in trouble.

"First we were too sexy, now we're too religious, we can't win!" Tina fumes.

"The real tragedy is that I found the perfect spiritual song to sing this week and now it's been torn away from me." Rachel says snobbishly.

"I hope you're happy, Kurt." Santana snaps.

Danielle turns around in her seat and gives Santana a death glare that actually makes her flinch a little

"Having the week of my life actually…" Kurt mutters.

"We feel for you Kurt, we really do. But siding with Coach Sylvester isn't gonna do any good." Mercedes tells him.

That is the last straw for Danielle.

She gets up and stalks to the front of the room. "You know, I was actually stupid enough to believe that when someone tells their friends to back off…" She spins around to face the group and crosses her arms, "-they'd actually listen."

"We don't want to hear your prayers any more than you want to hear us ranting that God doesn't exist." She continues, eyeing her peer's shocked expressions. "Yeah, yeah, I don't believe in God either."

The kids stare at Danielle, whispering to each other quietly. Then there is a loud scoff. "Geez, my mom was mad when I got a girl pregnant. I can't wait to see her reaction when I tell her I'm dating an atheist." Puck jokes, but his gaze is serious and he only has eyes for Danielle.

"I've been through a lot of shi-. Bad things in my life." Danielle continues. "Some of it, you know about but most of it you don't." She shakes her head. "And through all of that, the only help I ever got was from real people. Now tell me, if there is a God, why wouldn't he help those who can't help themselves?"

The room is silent as each kid reevaluates their beliefs for a moment, taking into account what Danielle just told them. Many look confused. Even more look seriously disturbed.

"I want to give you an idea of what that feels like. That…total abandonment."

She turns to Mr. Schu. "This song has God in it, but it isn't a spiritual song. So it isn't banned, correct?

He nods and Danielle looks to the piano man who starts the song.

_I found God__, o__n the corner of first and Amistad__  
__Where the west was all but won__  
__All alone,__smoking__his last cigarette__  
__I said 'where you been?', he said 'ask anything'__  
_Danielle's expression morphs from natural to something darker, something almost sinister.

_Where were you__when everything was falling apart?__  
__All my days were spent by the telephone__  
__It never rang__and all I needed was a call__  
__It never came__ fr__om the corner of first and Amistad_

Though she is still in the middle of the choir room, Danielle's mind goes back to a darker place. The place of her nightmares. The place that she once called home._  
__Lost and insecure__  
__You found me, you found me__  
__Lying on the floor__  
__Surrounded, surrounded__  
__Why'd you have to wait?__  
__Where were you? Where were you?__  
__Just a little late__  
__You found me, you found me__  
_The Glee kids watch as Danielle's facial expression shift from angry to pained to a kind of lost expression that they haven't seen since she stood before them bandaged and broken. They soon recognize that her fight wasn't over yet._  
__Early morning,__city breaks__  
__I've been calling for years and years and years and years__  
__And you never left me no messages__, __you never send me no letters__  
__You got some kind of nerve, taking all I want…_

Danielle's eyes closed on the last word and her head was tilted back very slightly, as if communicating to a God she didn't believe in.

_Lost and insecure__  
__You found me, you found me__  
__Lying on the floor__  
__Where were you where were you?__  
__Lost and insecure__  
__You found me, you found me__  
__Lying on the floor__  
__Surrounded, surrounded__  
__Why'd you have to wait?__  
__Where were you, where were you?__  
__Just a little late__  
__You found me, you found me…_

Now, the kids look very disturbed, wondering why a God that loved them would let them suffer so. Danielle's eyes are still closed as she voices her life's question to whoever would listen.

_Why'd you have to wait__  
__to find me, to find me?_

Scene 5 Lima Hospital

After a painful night filled with despair, Kurt and Danielle return to school the next day with bags under their eyes and frowns etched on their faces. Sometimes Danielle would find Kurt ditching class and just sitting in the library staring at a wall, crying quietly and lost in thought. At home, he would usually try to keep himself busy or at least wallow in his room, but at school…there was just no escape. She would hug him and console him before eventually taking him home.

That Friday started off the first weekend without Burt.

Kurt, Danielle and Carole practically live in his room at the hospital and it takes a lot of convincing on Danielle's part to get Kurt to go home to sleep. Finn had football Friday night which was unavoidable, but still hung around with the rest of them for most of the time. Danielle and Carole were both impressed with his being there and they knew Burt would appreciate it, too.

When they were home, Danielle, Kurt and Finn all did research in Burt's condition and what they could do to help him. Danielle had to admit, it was looking pretty grim. Kurt, however, refused to give up and decided to try to see if acupuncture would help clear out Burt's system. They found a traveling acupuncturist online and agreed that her fees weren't high enough to not try it.

On Sunday night, Kurt and Danielle meet the woman at the hospital and are leading her to Burt's room when they hear familiar singing and stop in their tracks. Rachel is there. She's singing a hymn of some sort to the comatose Burt while Quinn, Finn, Mercedes and Carole stand by. Kurt watches them angrily through the glass window and is about to storm in, but Danielle pulls him back and shakes her head.

"Just…hold on a second." She says gently. "No need to cause a fuss."

Kurt looks away and plants his feet, listening to Rachel's performance. Danielle turns and apologizes to the acupuncturist, saying that it'll only be a minute. The woman gives her a kind smile and nods. After awhile, Danielle notices that Kurt seems to soften a bit to Rachel's singing. When she finishes, however, Kurt snaps out of it and storms into the room, a dark glint in his eyes. The acupuncturist follows timidly behind him, reluctant to hear the argument waiting to happen.

Not wanting to deal with the shit storm, Danielle just stays in the hallway.

_What don't these people understand? _She rages, mentally._ Why are they even here? They don't even _know_ him. What gives them the right to just come in like this?_

After a few moments, the group leaves Burt's room. Danielle is ignored until Carole comes up to her and puts her hand on her shoulder. "How are you doing, sweetie?" she asks concernedly.

"Fine. Kurt's still…"

"I know." She looks into Danielle's eyes very seriously. "He should really stop trying to push people away. They just want to help."

"Their 'help' hurts." Danielle defends her friend. "Imagine being told that the only way the most important person in your world can be saved is at the hands of someone who has failed you time and time again. That your only hope lies in something that you don't even believe in. It makes things look pretty bleak." She finishes.

Carole looks at her silently for a moment, then pats her shoulder and follows the others down the hallway.

Once they are out of sight, Danielle looks into Burt's room and sees Kurt standing right next to the woman, watching her stick needles into his father.

Feeling pretty drained and finally being alone, Danielle turns back around and leans against the hallway before crumbling to the floor. She curls up in the fetal position just as her silent sobs start to shake her body. As she sits there, she lets all her fears, all her sorrows and all her pain wash over her.

She thinks about Burt, who gave her a home, lying comatose in the next room.

She thinks about Kurt, who was her best friend and protector, losing the only family he has left.

She thinks of a home about to be torn apart. Of a good man whose light is ready to go out. Of a poor boy whose happiness and innocence has been robbed of him time and time again ever since the day he was born. Of a God who could not possibly exist amongst such pain. And, selfishly, she thinks of the girl who is about to be taken by the sea of sorrow that once had hold over her, and now threatens to drag her under and keep her for good.

Scene 6 

The next Monday, Danielle is still a wreck. She is tired and worried and scared and…it's just a bad day. Kurt, however, seems a tiny bit lighter and keeps talking about the nice emails and cards he received over the weekend. Danielle encourages his optimism, but can't shake off her depression. When Kurt doesn't sit next to her in Glee club, she suspects that her foul mood was dragging him down.

Then something surprising happens. Puck sits right beside her instead of in his usual corner.

"Hey." He whispers and grabs her hand. "Still nothing?"

Relieved by his presence, Danielle shakes her head and heaves a big sigh, resting her head on his shoulder. Puck had been pretty distant for the past week. She figured it was because he wanted to give her space and appreciated it, but still wished he'd been around more often.

"Listen," Puck started in a quiet voice. "I know that you don't believe in God and that you're probably tired of hearing this, but I want you to know that I'm really depressed about this whole thing and I've been praying for Burt. He's a pretty chill guy and I know that you and Kurt…that you need him."

It kind of touching, actually. "Yeah, we do." Danielle replies. "And for the record, I don't care if you're religious. I think that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs so long as they're not hurting anyone or being shoving them in my face. I actually think it's great that you believe in something that strongly."

Puck chuckles, "Wait 'til my mom finds out. She'll probably be hell-bent on converting you."

Danielle groans making him smile.

"You know…you can always come stay at my house…if you ever need anything." Puck continues, rubbing his thumb over her hand.

"Thank you," Danielle murmurs "but I go where Kurt goes. He needs me."

He's silent for a moment. "You know, I think that everyone's so focused on him that nobody's taking care of you. You were close to him too, and you lose a lot if this ends badly." She looks up at him and finds that he is already looking at her. "You're a mess too, Danielle, and you're tough, but you need someone to help you every once in awhile. And if your family can't do it and God won't do it then I will. I always will."

Danielle's gets choked up and is a little shocked at his words. "Thank you." She whispers again, having nothing else to say. "If I'm ever alone…I'll come over, okay?"

"If you ever need me you'll come over." Puck orders, but not harshly or demandingly.

Danielle nods against his shoulder and then they both face the front of the room again.

A few moments later, Kurt stands up and walks to the front of the room, surprising Danielle. He starts off by thanking them for their kindness and for all the support they've given him, telling them that Burt's condition is still stable. But then he starts to tell a new story, one Danielle has never heard before.

Kurt tells the room about his mother's funeral and how his father was there for him when she couldn't be anymore. If that itself wasn't a stab in the heart, he then went ahead and sang "I Want to Hold Your Hand", referring to how his father was always there for him. How he wished that he could still be there for him.

His soft voice wavers a little through the song and he has tears running down his face by the end of it, but he looked and sounded beautiful. Danielle knew Burt would have loved it. And through all the misery and hopelessness she feels, she can't help but be proud of him and give him a small smile in encouragement the way his father had done for her the first night he took her into his home.

…

Taking each day hour by hour, Danielle and Kurt are able to get through another week together. The acupuncturist Kurt hired still visits Burt every other day and he and Danielle search diligently for more ideas but to little avail. No visible progress has been made.

That Sunday, Kurt surprises Danielle by deciding to accept Mercedes invitation to go to church with her.

"Just because that's what friends do." He'd said, fixing an eccentric hat on his head. "Besides, I think we I need to get away from all this for a little while." He freezes and looks at Danielle through his mirror. "You don't think that's a bad thing, do you?"

"No. No, of course not." Danielle encouraged him. "Do you need a ride to the hospital later?"

"No, Mercedes said she'd drop me off. I'll probably be there late again."

"That's fine."

Then, he'd turned around and walked over to her, grabbed her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm okay." He'd said. "Maybe you could go out for a little bit, too…"

Danielle gave him a weak smile. "We'll see."

Then, Mercedes dad pulled up in the driveway and Kurt was gone.

Danielle finds herself all alone in the big empty house. Knowing how dangerous that could be, she grabs her keys to the car that she was almost able to drive legally and heads out the door.

…

Danielle stayed at the Puckerman's all day. She and Puck spent most of the day in his room, talking quietly and taking comfort in each other's presence. Puck was just glad that she had finally come to him. He managed to get her to talk about her fears and her problems, eat some of his mom's food and even laugh despite herself. Though she never broke down once, Puck suspected that she was letting her guard down for him.

As they lay there that night, curled up next to each other and almost asleep, it occurred to Puck that he would never of done this with any other girl he knew. And, remembering his promise to always look out for her, he suddenly felt skittish about his relationship with Danielle. Just when his fears started to form into a coherent thought, however, Danielle shifted in his arms and sleepily thanked him for putting up with her. So, letting his mind rest, Puck held onto her tighter and let himself live in the moment for one more night.

…

That Sunday evening, as Danielle and Puck hold and take comfort in each other, Burt Hummel squeezes his son's pale hand.

Little by little, the man who changes the lives of many starts to come back and Kurt is right there right next to him, waiting for his dad to come home.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_I do not own glee. Song is "Too Much Too Soon" by Green Day. (If you're going to listen to it, listen to the Broadway Cast version. It's one of my favorites!)_

**2:3 Duets**

Scene One: Choir Room

The only reason she found out what happened that Saturday before everyone else did was because his mother answered his phone Sunday night.

That conversation was…frustrating to say the least.

"…Hello?"

"Hey-oh! Mrs. Puckerman?"

"Yes, who is this?"

"It's Danielle."

"Who?"

"Noah's girlfriend."

"Noah's…The red-head?"

"Yeah. Yeah, that's me."

"Right." The woman doesn't say anything more.

"…Um, can I talk to him please?"

The woman sighs then says in a thick voice, "I'm afraid you can't. He-uh isn't here right now."

"Okay, well, do you know when he'll be back?" Danielle asks, trying to keep the bite out of her tone.

"No." comes the curt reply.

_This woman… _Danielle seethes mentally.

"They took him to a juvenile detention center." She finally bursts out, surprising Danielle.

"Wha-what?"

"They took him away. He drove my goddamned car into that stupid store and they took him away." The woman rants. "I didn't even get a rental!"

"…"

"Dana?" the women says tentatively.

She takes a deep breath. "I-it's Danielle."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Is…how…" Danielle's mind is racing. "_He drove a car into a store?!_"

A tried sigh escapes from the woman. "He tried to steal the ATM apparently." She mutters.

A noise escapes Danielle's throat involuntarily; it's sounds like a mix between a huff and a moan.

"…I know." Mrs. Puckerman agrees on the other end of the phone.

Danielle's mind is whirring and it is hard for her to comprehend what she just heard.

"So…he's just gone?" she finally says, gripping the phone.

"Well, our attorney says he'll be in touch. We're not really sure what's going on yet. I haven't seen him since they took him away. Lord only knows _when_ I'll see him again…"

"I-I have to go." Danielle chokes out, desperately needing to get off the phone. "Thanks for telling me this." And then she hangs up before Mrs. Puckerman can reply.

She stands there for a long time, staring out the window to her room, breathing hard as her mind works in overdrive. Finally, she snaps out of it and runs out of her room to the only person she could go to.

"_Kurt_!"

…

Looking back, Danielle tries to tell herself that the situation wasn't that surprising. Puck has been distant lately, after all. Once school started, he became obsessed with parties and football and his image…Danielle had only been concerned with how he felt about her. She realizes now that that had been a mistake.

She tells herself these things, but she cannot control the shock that Puck's arrest put her in. After explaining the situation to Kurt that night, Danielle kind of shuts down. She listens as Kurt tells Finn what happened, but she doesn't really hear what he's saying. She eats dinner with the rest of the family, but doesn't taste the food. She gets up and goes to school Monday morning, but she feels like a specter floating through the halls. She isn't invisible, though. Everyone is watching the girlfriend of the guy who got arrested for driving his mom's car into a convenience store.

When Danielle, enters the choir room, nobody is talking about it. Seeing Finn and Kurt already there, she assumes that they told the others to hush. She's grateful and sits next to Kurt instead of in her usual spot in the back.

Then, Mr. Schu comes in, looking floored and maybe a little bit exasperated.

"I just came from a meeting with Principal Figgins." He starts. "Bad news guys, Puckerman's in juvie."

"It was just a matter of time." Tina remarks, making Danielle break out of her reverie.

"What did he do?" Quinn asks, actually sounding shocked. Maybe she hasn't heard the rumor yet…

"He drove his mom's Volvo through the front of a convenience store and drove off with the ATM." Mr. Schu says tiredly.

Everyone snickers at Puck's insanity. Danielle's blood boils at their jabs, but she knows she can't snap back…because there's nothing she can say to defend him. Puck dug his own grave on this one. She sulks as Kurt puts a hand on her shoulder.

Rachel swirls around in her seat to face Danielle. "When is he getting out?" she asks, actually sounding concerned. The whole room looks towards Danielle.

Danielle throws her hands up and looks flustered. "Don't look at me, I only found out about this because his mother answered his phone for him." Then she mumbles, slightly embarrassed. "I haven't talked to him yet…but when I do see him, he's gonna be glad there are bars separating us." She growls.

"He might be the dumbest person on this planet and that's coming from me." Brittany snickers.

"Guys! Let's have a little more sympathy, here." Mr. Schu scolds the class.

"For a guy who put his needs before the teams?" Finn says, "We need his voice and his…bad boy stage presence."

"We can't look at this as a crisis." Mr. Schu stresses.

"Really? Because it sure as hell feels like one." Danielle finally snaps, making everyone shut up for a moment.

Then, Mr. Schu starts again, quietly. "It's an opportunity." he walks towards the door. "An opportunity for welcoming our new member, San Evans!"

Then super-blond boy wonder comes jogging in the room. Danielle looks him over once and acknowledges that he's fit and cute in a dorkish little brother kind of way. Nothing she'd ever be into. As soon as he opens his mouth, though, it is apparent that the dork label fit him perfectly.

"Hey, I'm Sam." He said, "Sam I am. And I don't like green eggs and ham."

Nobody laughs.

After Sam is initiated (aka receives a bitchy comment from Santana) Finn takes him under his wing and they all sit as Mr. Schu begins his lesson about…duets. Like, two people singing together, "two voices joining to become one" duets. And, of course, Mr. Schu has to romanticize them. He compares them to marriage, talking about how the two singers complement each other and push each other to be better in a good situation.

Danielle's sulk turns into a full blown frown.

_God, we could have been amazing at this…_she thinks, depressed.

_Stop that!_ She scolds herself. _This is a dumb lesson anyway. Besides we wouldn't have taken it so serious. _

_It would have been fun though…_

_But we've got bigger problems. _

Danielle almost groans at the thought.

"Psst!" Kurt hisses, nudging Danielle. "He's on team gay." He jerks his chin towards Sam.

"What?"' she says, re-evaluating the new kid. "I don't know…maybe."

"No straight boy dyes his hair to look like Linda Evangelista circa 1993." Kurt says decidedly.

"Oh?" Danielle is clueless.

Kurt just winks at her and returns his gaze to Sam. Danielle mentally rolls her eyes.

It's not hard to guess who Kurt will try to sing with.

Danielle pushes thoughts of Puck from her head and starts mentally preparing for helping Kurt sail through uncharted waters, again.

Scene 2: Juvenile Detention Visiting Center

Danielle doesn't see Puck until Tuesday. Sunday and Monday, she needed time to absorb the shock, work through her disbelief and try to get control over her anger. By Tuesday, she thought she had a pretty good handle on herself. She was wrong.

The room is loud and cold. The phone booths split the room in half with all women on Danielle's side of the glass and the men on the side that Puck would be on.

_The kids in here can't possibly be all men._ Danielle thinks as she waits for Puck to come out. _And all these women, mothers and girlfriends?_

The women next to Danielle are annoying the crap out of her. One is sobbing and yelling at what Danielle guessed was her son and the other had a high pitched voice as she reprimanded her boyfriend and she snapped her gum every two seconds. Between these two women, the crowded room and almost getting frisked on her way in, Danielle is not in a good mood.

Finally, the doors swing open and an officer brings Puck out. Puck sees Danielle and nods the cop off, walks over and takes a seat, his eyes never meeting hers.

Danielle isn't sure what she expected. He looks the same. Exactly the same. There is a faint stubble on his otherwise unchanged face. Even the expression he has on is familiar. Dark, shiny eyes, arrogant smirk. He is still Puck.

She expected him to make a joke. To talk about how drunk he was that night and make himself sound like an idiot. Then, they would talk. That part would be the hardest, but in the end they'd work it out.

Unfortunately, Puck seemed to have to intention to do any of this. He just sits there, fiddling with the phone cord.

Finally, Danielle picks hers up, and gestures angrily for him to do so to.

Puck rolls his eyes, but picks it up.

"Hey, babe."

"What happened?"

"It was a crazy ride, Moretti, I'll tell you that."

Danielle sighs. "Puck…"

He says something else, but the woman next to Danielle started shrieking and she couldn't hear him.

"What did you say?" she yells into the phone.

"Did you know that ATM's are, like, super heavy?"

"Jesus, Puck. What the hell were you _thinking_?" she seethes.

His face scrunches up. "What?" he mouths. Obviously, his side is just as loud as hers.

"_What were you thinking!?_ What would possess you to drive a car into a store window! It's-it's-"

"Badass."

"It's moronic." She snaps, making him tense up and narrow his eyes at her. She closes her eyes and leans her forehead into her hands. "It's like you've become someone else lately."

"This is who I am!" He yells back. "I'm a delinquent, Danielle! A crazy punk that drives cars through windows and steals shit for no reason. I changed who I was because of you!" Danielle's blood runs cold.

Suddenly, the a guitar plays loudly in the room, almost as if it was coming from the speaker system.

"But the truth is," he continues, "I'm Puckasaurous. I'm a sex shark, Danielle, and I've been denying myself of that for too long. I belong here."

Puck turns in his seat and faces the other boys in his row, then he starts to song.

_She's always living like she's running out of time_

_Too much just ain't enough to keep her satisfied_

_Her__plastic card__is filled with nothing comes to mind, Woo!_

_It's now her occupation that she's overqualified_

Understanding Puck's situation, a man next to him joins in.

_The looks are always so deceiving,_

_The truth is always misconstrued,_

_To you_

Then all the men sing, with the women on the other side echoing.

_Too much too soon (too much too soon)_

_Too little and now you're coming unglued_

_Too much too soon (too much too soon)_

_Too late and now it sucks to be you, too!_

Danielle's expression is deadly. "You're a sex shark, huh?" she says in a cold voice. "Fine. I am _so sorry_ I was holding you back all summer. I mean, just think of all those whores you could have had in that time! Well you know what, I hope you get _screwed_ in prison, asshole! I am never coming back!" Puck's expression becomes smug. He point at the phone and shrugs. He can't even hear her. Danielle groans and whirls around in her seat, rolling her eyes at the other women to express her aggravation.

_He's talking shit about how it's better way back when,_

The men echo.

_(Ah-aah, Ah-aah)_

_He lives every waking moment as means to an end_

_(Ah-aah, Ah-aah)_

_Oh! We are we are, but I'm not_

_I never used to be!_

Then, she sings into the phone,

_So God bless__your__fucking past and to hell with your glory!_

All the women sing together,

_The looks are always so deceiving_

_Oh! The truth is always misconstrued_

_To you_

Danielle sings,

_Too much too soon_

They _all_ echo,

_(Too much, too soon)_

_Too little and now you're coming unglued_

_Too much too soon,_

_(Too much, too soon)_

_Too late and now it sucks to be you, too!_

Puck sings,

_She packs her bags and says goodbye-_

Danielle sings, into the phone,

_and bon voyage_!

Puck sings into the phone,

_Farewell, see you in hell_

Both sing angrily,

_I hope you rest in pieces!_

_Fuck you!_

They both slam down their phones and Danielle stands up to leave. Then, the music pauses as both of their expressions waver as they realize exactly just what they said to each other.

_Too much too soon,_

Danielle's resolve hardens as she starts walking away.

_Too little and now you're coming unglued_

All the men and women sing together.

_Too much too soon (Too much too-)_

_Too late and now it sucks to be you, too!_

Danielle sings on her own as she walks away, occasionally turning backwards to mock Puck.

_Woah oh oh oh_

_(Woah oh ohh)_

_Woah oh oh oh_

_(Oh whoa)_

_Woah oh oh oh_

_(Oh whoa)_

Danielle reaches the door, but pauses and looks behind her guiltily.

_Woah oh oh ohhhh!_

Finally, Danielle's face scrunches up in frustration as she turns around and stalks back to her seat.

_(Ohhhh! Yeah!)_

On the last note, Danielle plops into her chair and picks up the phone again, not ready to leave her uncooperative boyfriend just yet, no matter how childlike he was acting.

…

Scene Three: Hummel House

The next day, Danielle is still miserable which sharply contrasts with Kurt's seems sunny and bright demeanor. Actually, he has been that was ever since Monday. At first, Danielle thought it was because of Puck's situation, but she soon realized that it is the possibility of doing a duet with the new kid, Sam, that was making Kurt so cheerful.

Danielle is happy for him. If this kid agreed to song with him, maybe he is just what Kurt needs. Even if he might not be gay.

Kurt's good mood doesn't last even two full days, though. He comes home late Sunday night from a study session with Mercedes, slamming the door closed behind him.

"I'm home." He yells, his shrill voice echoing around the house.

"Hey!" Burt calls from his spot in the living room. "Danielle's makin' supper!"

"_What?!_" Kurt pokes his head around the corner of the kitchen with an incredulous look on his face. When he sees her, he gives her a sad grin. "Having fun?" he asks.

Danielle turns around to face him and heaves a big sigh. His eyes sparkle at the sight of her. She's a mess. Her hair is curling from being over the hot stove, she has sauce all over her apron and there are pots and pans littered all over the place.

"Oodles." She grumbles in response. The water on the stove starts bubbling over and she turns around to take care of it. Taking the pot off the stove, she whips her head wildly back and forth for a moment, looking for a place to put it.

"Here." Kurt breathes dramatically in exasperation. He clears out the sink and gestures for her to pour the pot's contents into a strainer.

"Thanks," Danielle mumbles as she pours the pasta in. "The meatballs should be close to done if you wanna check on them for me…" she hints hopefully.

Kurt nods and goes over to the oven, peering in to look at their dinner.

Danielle drops the pot back on the counter and starts rinsing the pasta, watching Kurt over her shoulder carefully as she does so.

"Hey. You okay, kid?" she asks.

"'Kid?' I'm older than you." Kurt sniffs, still not looking at her.

"In years. But I have more life experience." Danielle explains.

"I can drive."

_Two more days til I can, too…_ Danielle thinks in a sing-song voice. She is so excited to get her license. "Well, I worked in a strip club."

"I've been out of Lima more than once." Kurt counters, finally turning around and crossing his arms at Danielle's challenge.

"I've had _way_ more than a sip of alcohol." she replies smoothly, giving her friend a knowing look.

"I'm gay." Kurt practically snaps, not in an unfriendly tone though; he just hates losing.

"How does that determine age?" Danielle laughs.

"It just does."

She purses her lips. "Fine. I'm not a virgin."

His gaze drops. "That's true…" he says slowly, making Danielle immediately repentant.

There is an awkward silence.

"I'm sorry, Kurt." Danielle finally apologizes. "I know you don't like when I'm so flip about that stuff that happened with my da-"

"It's not that." Kurt interrupts. "I mean, I don't, but it's…something else."

Danielle starts clearing off the counter and throwing the empty pots into the sink. "What happened? Was it Karofsky again?" she says, eyes gleaming dangerously.

"No. I mean, yes. But he's not…It's Finn."

"Finn?"

"Yeah. He approached me in lunch today. He told me that me singing with Sam is a bad idea because-"

"Because he isn't gay?"

Kurt suddenly tenses up. "You don't know that." He says defensively.

Danielle backtracks, shooting him an apologetic look. "No. You're right, I don't. Continue."

"He says that he's just worried that Sam will get teased and quit glee club."

She thinks for a moment while she puts two pieces of garlic bread and a piece of wheat bread into the toaster oven. "…well that seems like a reasonable fear. Especially considering everything you've been going through lately. Karofsky and Azimio have been unbearable."

"Or Finn's closeted homophobia is showing again." Kurt mutters darkly, checking on the meatballs again.

"Okay, cut that out." Danielle scolds. She whirls around and puts her hands on her hips. He turns around to face her, too. "Finn is not homophobic." She says, "He really cares about you, Kurt. He just didn't react well when you were crushing on him."

"I'm not saying that makes what happened okay," she rushes on before Kurt can get a word in edgewise. "But…you should have seen him that night. I found him pacing on the sidewalk right after…"it" happened. He was really upset, Kurt. He wanted really badly to make it up to you."

Kurt is still and silent. Danielle can't see his expression, but keeps talking.

"I didn't want to tell you then because you needed to get over him, but now that you are…I just thought you should know." She finishes, taking the bread out of the toaster and starting to butter it up. Kurt says nothing.

Danielle takes a large breath and is on the move again, preparing Burt's plate. He had the wonderful privilege of eating dry spaghetti with whole wheat bread for dinner that night due to the health regime Kurt put him on after his heart attack. (Danielle had promised earlier to sneak him a half of a meatball later. The poor guy was desperate). When she was done, she gave the plate to Kurt and looked him in the eye.

"Why don't you talk to your dad about it? I'm just one voice." She says gently.

Kurt nods and starts to leave, his expression blank.

"Dinner will be ready in eight minutes." She calls after his retreating figure. Then she sighs and finishes preparing their plates and pour them drinks, deep in thought. She barely registers Kurt and Burt talking in the other room. Though Kurt isn't exactly quiet about it, she doesn't want to pry.

By the time Kurt and Danielle's places are set, Kurt walks in and settles down at the table, his eyes a little watery. The two sit in silence for a moment, picking at their food.

"…So you think I shouldn't sing with Sam?" Kurt finally asks, his blue-green eyes looking respectfully up at Danielle. It makes her feel good to know how much her friend values her opinion and she has no problem sharing it.

"I say you should let Sam decide." She shrugs. "I know he already said yes, but make sure that he knows what he's in for, you know? "And no mind games," she says warningly, "be straight with him. No pun intended."

"…Okay." Kurt agrees glumly, pushing his meatball across his plate. "That sounds reasonable."

The two eat for a little longer before Danielle snorts. "Honestly, I don't think Blondie would stand a chance against you if it came down to a battle of wits." she says jokingly.

Kurt grins at her. "Not even you could go up against me when I'm on full power, sweetie."

The fact that Danielle couldn't argue back was only proof to Kurt's point.

…

After dinner, Kurt headed upstairs to looks into possible duet ideas for if Sam declined to song with him.

"I am _not_ giving up a chance to solo just because I don't have a partner." He had told Danielle resolutely. "I'm just not capable of it."

Danielle had shooed him away, insisting that she could handle the dishes on her own. Once Kurt is locked away, Danielle takes a leftover meatball, cuts it in half and brings it into the living room.

Burt sits on the couch there, like he has been for the past few weeks, wearing the same pajamas and watching the same show. He complains about his situation a lot for someone who almost dies and it is obvious he hates being stuck there. He quickly found out, however, that he could guilt Danielle into bringing him food on Kurt's X-list fairly easily and took advantage of it whenever he could. Danielle feels too bad for the guy to follow Kurt's rules, hoping that her actions weren't sending her guardian into the ICU again.

When Burt sees her come in, the miserable expression he was wearing falls right off his face.

"Was that meatballs I smelled?" he asks, unable to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"Only half of one." Danielle says warningly, sitting beside him on the couch. "I honestly cannot justify giving you a whole one. I was almost homeless once, I don't wanna be again."

Burt snorts. "I'm fine, I'm fine." He takes the plate from her. "Thanks." He says, stuffing the meat into his mouth in one big bite.

They're silent for a moment, watching the news on T.V. as Burt savors the first bit of meat he's had in two days.

In that moment, Danielle is content. She's extremely grateful to whatever force out there gave Burt back from death's claws, whether it be God, love, or the man's own stubbornness. Having Burt back after those terrible two weeks was like getting out of a room with fluorescent lighting and being brought to a bright field with fresh air, blue skies and a soft breeze of relief.

"So," Burt swallows. "What's new with you? You and Noah singing in this duet thing?"

Danielle knows that Burt knows about Puck's arrest. He just wants to hear it from her.

"Something tells me he won't be singing anything with me for awhile." She replies evenly.

They fall back into silence.

"Look, Danielle, I'm not trying to defend what he did, we both know that I don't really think much of him-"

"He's a good guy." Danielle interrupts, defensively, "He just-"

"Doesn't make good decisions."

"He's not dangerous." She insists.

"Not to you, maybe. To others?" Burt turns to looks at her. "Would he be where he is if he wasn't?"

Danielle can't think of a argument there. Burt is right, she realizes. Though Danielle had never seen Puck's actions as dangerous to anyone but himself, they could have put other people in harm's way. He could've _killed_ somebody.

"I was just gonna say…that I'm proud of you for hanging in there when things got rough." Danielle's eyes almost pop out of their sockets. Burt coughs, then continues. "That boy needs someone to look out for him."

Danielle's brow furrows. "How do you know that I'm gonna do it? I could have left him there to rot."

She recalls her visit, and how she didn't leave Puck on the best terms. _"I think…we need to take a break." _

"You could've, and it would have been totally appropriate to do that, but-" Burt points to the black chord around her neck, "you haven't given up yet."

She reaches for her necklace and runs her fingers over it, the corners of her mouth curling up very slightly.

"But, let me be crystal clear," Burt continues in his gruff voice, "If he puts you in danger, in any way, you need to know when to let go." He leans back in his seat and grabs the remote, telling Danielle that their conversation is almost over. "You just have to learn when to recognize that someone is a lost cause, otherwise you'll be getting trampled on your while life."

"I think I get that." Danielle replies darkly, thinking of her family.

_But that isn't Puck. It will never be. _she tells herself, frowning slightly.

The two sit in silence for a minute, watching the news again. Suddenly, a voice screeches from upstairs, making Danielle jump.

"IT'S PERFECT!" the voice yells, but doesn't elaborate any further. Burt just rolls his eyes and Danielle chuckles.

"I suppose you know all about what's going on with him, then?" Burt asks seriously, jerking his head towards the stairs.

"Mmhmm." Danielle replies. "I've been trying to help him…but, I'm just…"

"Not good at handling stuff like that." Burt nods. "Tell me about it. I never would have thought that it would be easier to fix a woman's relationship problems than my boy's."

Danielle chuckles again and smiles at Burt. "Kurt's strong. I'm sure whatever he'll do, it'll be great."

"And crazy." Burt adds, a hint of pride in his voice. "Lord knows that boy can really put on a performance."

"WHERE IS MY BEDAZZLER? I _NEED_ MY BEDAZZLER!" Kurt shrieks upstairs as he runs around his room. "AND EYESHADOW, BLUSH, MAKE-UP! _DANIELLE_!"

Burt and Danielle look up at the ceiling in amusement.

"I don't envy you." Burt says, a small grin on his face.

"He'll be spectacular." Danielle repeats fondly, mentally preparing herself to help Kurt in whatever crazy scheme he is preparing for himself.

Maybe, it will be enough to keep her distracted from Puck for awhile.

"_I think…we need to take a break." She'd said, right before she left. "Just…to stay away from each other for awhile."_

_His eyes flashed. "Are you breaking up with me?"_

_Danielle looked at him long and hard. "No." she said finally. "Not for this. You're more than this, and while you're here, I'll be waiting for you to realize that."_

_She stood up, "I'll see you later, Puck." She promised him._

_I'll keep waiting. _She tells herself as she sits next to Burt, the cord around her neck anchoring her to that promise. _I'm not giving up on him._

_Not now._

…

_**REVIEW!**_


	15. Chapter 15

_I do not own glee._

_Sorry for the long wait. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_

**2:4 A Step in the Right Direction**

Scene One: WMHS

The weeks passed slowly after Puck's arrest. Danielle, true to her word, didn't speak to him directly once the whole time. She was notified by his mother, however, once he was sent to a more permanent location: the Mondale School for boys.

She took the news numbly, not sure how to react. So, instead of wasting her time pining over Puck, Danielle threw herself back into Kurt's waiting embrace. The two were practically inseparable those three weeks. They dressed up for Halloween, performed in Mr. Schu's production of 'Rocky Horror' and spent a lot of time out of school together. In school, it was a nightmare. Kurt's bullying attacks have been getting worse, and though he tries to hide it, Danielle knows the bullies are getting to him.

One day, Danielle is on her way to Glee club when she sees Kurt just down the hall, coming from the opposite side of the school. He looks chipper in his new sweater and walks tall and proud…until Karofsky comes up out of nowhere and shoves him brutally into a locker. The small boy takes the full impact, his forehead rebounding against the cold, hard metal. The bully barely glances at Kurt, not even breaking his stride. Danielle storms up to him and opens her mouth to give him a piece of her mind, but Karofsky nods his head behind her gleefully. She turns. A teacher has just walked around the corner and surveys the halls speculatively. Any verbal outburst from Danielle would have resulted in a detention. Instead, Danielle settles for giving Karofsky a scorching glare before rushing to Kurt's side.

Kurt leans against the lockers, a little winded, with a look of disgust on his face.

"Are you okay?" she asks immediately.

He gives her a look.

"Dumb Question. Forget I asked."

Kurt sighs. "I'm fine."

"No you're not," Danielle huffs, fixing his sweater back. "Stop lying." She pauses, her hand lingering on his shoulder. "Are you sure Figgins won't-"

"He won't help me." Kurt shrugs her hand off and starts walking again. "No one will. This is my hill to climb alone."

"Until things get worse." She frets.

"_Unless_ things get worse." He corrects her.

"I can't just sit here and watch this." she seethes in frustration.

He quirks a brow at her. "It sucks doesn't it?"

That shuts her up. She remembers. Last year she had put Kurt in a very similar position. And now, she was the one having to watch her best friend in pain.

They walk to the choir room in silence.

When she walks in the doorway, she is so focused on Kurt's problem that she almost misses him.

Almost.

But there Noah Puckerman sits, lounging in the front row as if he never left. In place of his normal jeans, he's in green cargo pants and has a dark earring in each ear that weren't there when he left. And he's not looking at her.

Danielle had no idea he'd be here. His mother hadn't even given her a warning. But there he sits, eyes on the ground, his hands restlessly picking at his T-shirt…

Danielle jolts from her daze and focused on finding a seat as far from him as possible. She just needs to get away. She realizes, however, that she can't sit next to Mercedes and Kurt without walking right past him. She stands in indecision for a moment.

_What, are you avoiding him now? Stop being dumb. _She mentally scolds herself.

Forcing her legs to move, she breezes past Puck and sits between Kurt and Mercedes trying to ignore the Mohawk right under her nose.

He doesn't even glance in her direction.

"Okay, guys!" Mr. Schu calls, bringing the kids to order. "First, let's welcome back Noah Puckerman from juvie." Nobody claps. Mr. Schu looks at Puck. "I hope your time in juvie taught you something about right and wrong."

"Are you kidding me?" Puck says snarkily, speaking for the first time, "I ruled that place. All I did was crack skulls and lift weights all day."

"Gee, what a catch. I can't believe I ever let you go." Quinn sighs sarcastically.

Danielle's face burns as a few of the kids shoot her glances, but she doesn't say anything.

"Okay then. Next…" Mr. Schu tries to get the ball rolling again, mercifully steering the conversation away from Puck's return. Danielle tunes out completely.

A part of Danielle feels guilty; she is still Puck's girlfriend, after all, she should have stuck up for him. Or at least talked to him.

The thought of that, for some reason, makes her feel sick.

The last thing she wanted was for Puck to think that she didn't care about what happened to him. She did, but she also isn't going to sit around and worry about him while he acts like he's having the time of his life on the self-destructive path that he paved for himself. She just…couldn't figure out how to get through to him.

Suddenly everyone is standing and moving around and Danielle comes back to Earth.

"What'd I miss?" she asks Kurt. The boy opens his mouth but is interrupted by Mr. Schu.

"Kurt I'm gonna say it again. Boy's team." The teacher says, his back to his students.

Kurt's shoulders droop and he glowers in Mr. Schu's direction.

"Boy's vs. Girl's, again." he mutters and saunters over to the other side of the room, leaving Danielle with the chattering girls.

Danielle stays in her seat, wondering what else she just missed. She wants to try to communicate with Kurt from across the room, but is afraid she'll make eye contact with Puck.

_Maybe I should just…go over and ask Puck to meet me here for lunch. That'll give us enough time and space to work all of this out, right?_

She sits there the entire class, thinking it over while Rachel, Mercedes, and Santana bicker over mash-up choices.

_I don't know what to do. _Danielle thinks miserably, burying her head in her hands.

_But I have to try._ She resolves, just as the bell rings.

It doesn't matter though, because as soon as class is over, Puck is the first to leave, rushing out the door. Danielle lost her chance to talk to him. Sure, she could always text him, but it was obvious that he did not want to talk to her.

_Well, fine, then. _

"I swear these lessons just keep getting more and more boring." Kurt walks over to Danielle, "I'm not challenged at all by this and neither is anyone else."

Danielle can't help but disagree. Things seem pretty challenging right now.

…

Kurt is excited.

Just when he thought he was at his lowest point, a new shining opportunity comes his way.

That Monday had been exhausting. Between two locker slam attacks from Karofsky, helping Danielle with her boyfriend problems and finally telling Mr. Schu off, Kurt thought that the rest of the week would only bring more trouble.

Actually, Kurt was glad that he finally snapped back to Karofsky that day. He felt empowered for once in his life, releasing a small part of his frustrations on his tormentor. Karofsky had simply threatened him more, of course. Kurt didn't really expect a 'Come to Jesus' moment. Left breathless and shaken, Kurt was brought into a meeting with Mr. Schu, who seemed genuinely concerned for his well-being.

"Is there anything that I can do?" the teacher asked, giving Kurt a cup of water.

_Of course there isn't. Nothing that you would be willing to do. You can't change the world Mr. Schu. _

But Kurt just answers with a simple, "No."

"Can I be honest with you?" he continues, "I think it's getting to you, Kurt. Usually this stuff just rolls right off you're back but lately you've been belligerent, moody, and pushing people away."

That's wasn't entirely true. Kurt was spending more time with Danielle than ever before. But now that Puck came back…

Still feeling a hint of rebellion in him, Kurt overrode his teacher's concerned comments by pointing out the hypocrisy of what he was saying.

"Can I be honest with you?" he started, "You are just as quick as everyone else at this school to let homophobia slide." He pauses, "And your lessons are boring and repetitive." He adds, to which Mr. Schu raises his brows.

"To answer your question, yes, I'm unhappy." Kurt sighed, getting up out of his chair in Mr. Schu's little office. "And I'm not challenged in the least here."

Kurt had left that meeting feeling not the least bit better after venting twice that day.

The next day, however, took a big turn for the better. Mr. Schu surprises Kurt in Glee club by changing the rules of the mash-up: the girls will sing songs traditionally sung by boys while the boys will sing songs traditionally sung by girls. Kurt is all over this.

"Don't worry gentlemen." He assures his peers, "I have this one under control."

And he does.

Kurt spends all night working on ideas for songs, costumes, staging, everything. He makes displays, digs out his boas and even prepares for a demonstration or two. Kurt comes into the boy's private "mash-up" meeting in the Spanish room the following day with his head held high.

"Now, obviously for this medley to work, I'm gonna have to sing lead," Kurt starts as soon as his display is set up, "and when you're singing Diana Ross, Bob Mackie-esque marabou feather boas are a must."

"Isn't this a lesson about opposites?" Artie interrupts. "Kurt, you in a feather boa and a dress singing show tunes is kind of predictable."

"Okay, who said anything about a dress?" Kurt says, shaking his head in confusion.

"Ah, dude, why don't you sit this one out and make yourself useful and go spy on the Gayblers or something." Puck says, arrogantly from the back of the room, making Kurt scowl.

Kurt has had enough of Noah Puckerman. Between the delinquent's rude comments towards him and the way he has been treating Danielle lately, Kurt has already lost what little liking he ever had for him.

"The Warblers." Kurt corrects Puck, remembering the name of their competition. Honestly, the idea of competing against an all boy's private school had been a little intimidating to Kurt.

"Whatever." Puck shrugs, uncaringly. "It's simple. Just put on you feathers, go in, and see what they're up to. You'll blend right in." The boy says as he picks up his guitar and starts strumming.

Puck's comment stings Kurt but nobody else in the room speaks up. For an instant, Kurt's eyes flash to Finn, but his supposed "friend" won't even turn around to face him.

_They want you to leave._ Kurt realizes.

Suddenly, Dalton doesn't seem like such a bad place to visit.

Shaking his head slightly Kurt snaps out a "Fine." before quickly collecting his things and heading for the door.

"Oh, and by the way," the small boys says, turning back to face Puck, "I know you wouldn't mind if I took your girlfriend with me. You know, the one you spent _all summer_ with, the one who you _haven't bothered to call yet, _the one who you_ won't even glance at_." Kurt looks back at the mohawked boy from the doorway, putting a bitchy snap in his words. "Hopefully, she'll be able to find a better boyfriend while we're gone."

And then, Kurt storms down the hall, knowing Puck wouldn't even look up from his guitar long enough to reply.

Scene Two: WMHS courtyard

Kurt was right. Puck had been avoiding Danielle ever since he got back from juvie. But that's what she said she wanted, right? Some time away from each other. Puck was more bothered by Kurt's comment than he'd admit, but he couldn't do anything about it. He was taking the freedom that she had given him and using it to put himself back on track.

The biggest problem in Puck's mind at the moment was the community service he was required to complete on his probation. Thank God he had someone like Artie to use. There was no way he was doing the normal service requirement task of cleaning up trash along the freeway. That's ghetto. So, Puck sucked it up and hung around with Artie all week, telling his probation officer that he was 'hanging with a crip'.

_Maybe, if the nerd pays extra close attention, some of my coolness will radiate onto him._

And boy was Puck radiant.

While he was at juvie, his reputation at McKinley seems to have soared. Of course, because the football team had actually been winning before, Puck thought that he had been on the top of the heap. He had been wrong. Now more than ever before, the kids at McKinley seemed to both respect and fear Puck, giving him ultimate power.

It was definitely something that he could get used to, and was a nice change from his situation in juvie.

_So what if I ignore Danielle for a little while until I get readjusted here? She wanted a break, well now she has one._

This rationale carried Puck through his first three days back at school.

On Wednesday, he and Artie were hanging in the courtyard during lunch, singing and hustling kids for money. It works pretty well, too. They end up with about three-hundred bucks.

"What are we gonna do with it?" Artie asks, his expression incredulous.

"Buy a couple packs of cigarettes and some beer and then…I don't know." Puck says off-handedly, already swiping some of it for himself.

Artie's eyes suddenly zoom up the concrete stairs to a pair of Cheerio's descending slowly. Santana and Brittany walk side by side down the stairs, smiling and talking to each other. For once Santana's eyes don't stray to the boys walking by them.

_That's different_, Puck notices. But he doesn't think anything of it.

By the way Artie's eyes cling to the blonde, though, Puck knows something's up.

"You want her?" he asks, jerking his head towards Brittany, a Cheerio he's known since middle school. "_She's_ free, you know. All you have to do is ask."

"She was my first." Artie mumbles. "But I screwed up. And I think…I want her back."

"So? Go get her." Puck rolls his eyes. _Nerds. They always gotta make these things complicated._

"It's not that simple. I hurt her feelings. I think I was kinda mean to her."

"Perfect!" Puck exclaims, "The thing about chicks is that you only have to be a fraction as nice to them as you are mean to get them to like you again. It's basic math."

He's seen it in action many, many times before.

"So what should I do?" Artie asks, eyes shining up at the taller boy.

"Well since you're my community service, it seems wrong to just throw you at the mercy of Santana. So, here's what we're gonna do." Puck leans down and mumbles his plan. "You and I are gonna take this money," he kicks guitar case, "and take those two on a double date to Breadstix."

"Great! Awesome" Artie says excitedly. Then he frowns. "But-but don't you have a girlfriend?"

"And?" Puck asks, narrowing his eyes, daring Artie to say something.

"Well last time I checked, when a person's in a relationship, they don't go on dates with other people…"

"Look you want me to hook you up with Brittany or not?"

Artie pauses, indecisive. He doesn't want to hurt Danielle…but the idea of getting a second chance with Brittany is just too tempting. "Okay, just-just don't do anything you'll regret."

"Sounds like a 'yes' to me." Puck fist bumps Artie who is still uncomfortable with the situation, but one look at Brittany hardens his resolve.

If Puck's okay with it, it's his problem. Either way, Artie gets his date.

Scene Three: Dalton Academy

Dalton is loud. Much louder than Danielle expected a private school to be.

Boys of all different colors, shapes and sizes crowd the hallway, looking absolutely preppy in their red and blue school uniforms.

She is busy eyeing one boy in particular when Kurt tugs on her arm, rolling his eyes.

The pair sticks out like sore thumbs here. Kurt is in a navy coat with matching shorts, a white shirt with a red tie. If not for the lack of uniform, Danielle can't help but think that he'd fit right in here.

She, on the other hand, looks totally off. With a borrowed a pair of dark slacks (which were a little too short), a suit jacket, and a blue tie from Kurt, she feels uncomfortable and poorly concealed. She also wore her black ski cap on her head so she could tuck her hair up (this was no small feat due to the growth her hair went through over the summer). The color scheme was a little off, but the outfit was more convincing than Kurt's. They both agreed that as the girl, Danielle would need the better cover though.

"You're starting to drool." Kurt mutters from beneath his sunglasses, watching Danielle's eyes wander.

"Excuse me for enjoying myself." Danielle replies lightly, "I'd have thought you'd be doing the same."

"We're not here to gaze, _Danielle_. We're on a mission. This is serious."

"I know. Kurt Hummel ditching school? This must be important."

"It is." The shorter boy stresses, though now that they were inside the school, he sounded a little less sure of himself.

Danielle wasn't entirely sure why they were here, either. Earlier that afternoon, Kurt had charged into the girl's mash-up rehearsal and dragged Danielle out without an explanation, leaving Rachel Berry screaming "Spy!" behind them. He explained to her on the ride to his house that he wanted to go to Dalton and scope the place out. Maybe even check out their competition. Danielle assumed that he had other motives for going there, but couldn't fathom what they would be.

"We should split up." Kurt mutters, looking around an inconspicuously as possible. "The two of us together looks really suspicious."

"_What_? You're going to leave me all alone in the middle a school bursting at the seams with cute, preppy boys?" Danielle starts, feeling betrayed. Then she pauses. "_Actually_…"

Kurt snorts. "I'm sure you'll be fine. I'm going to follow this crowd down those stairs, you take that back hallway where those guys are going."

Danielle looks in the direction Kurt indicated and nods.

"Got it. And if I get caught?"

"There is a pill in your right pocket. We tell them nothing." Kurt deadpans.

Danielle grins and gives him a solemn salute, then turns around, heading down the hall while her comrade heads in the opposite direction.

_Whooooo…_Danielle mentally whistles. _This place is fancy._

The hallways seem to be made of dark, polished wood with lots of paintings and fancy lamps hanging from the walls. Every few paces there are a mahogany tables with a vase or a few books on them.

_Do people actually read those? _She wonders.

Danielle is given little time to stop and admire the scenery, though, because suddenly, the hall is filled to the max with students. The giant crowd is making their way into a single room where the voices of even more boy's can be heard from twenty feet away.

Eventually, Danielle is able to make her way into the room with the rest of the crowd, ducking her head in an effort to lie low. She squeezes in between the boys and tries to find a spot against the wall to lean on, trying to avoid the center of the room. Eventually, she finds it and stands there, observing the scene in front of her with feigned disinterest.

She watches as some boys clear the room of its game boards and furniture while others simply stand and talk. Near the center of the room, a group of especially well-groomed boys in identical uniforms are chatting and smiling. There is a feeling of anticipation in the air.

Danielle wants to ask someone what's going on, but decides against it and stays in her spot. From what she hears, though, she figures out that the Warblers were about to give a performance for the student body. Apparently, they were well-liked amongst their peers and did this quite frequently.

_Well…that's different._

"You know, Dalton dress code doesn't allow for hats."

Danielle jumps at the voice that came from beside her. She looks over to see a tall, blond kid grinning at her, his blue eyes sparkling.

_Just, act natural. _She thinks as she puts on a calm expression.

"Yeah, well, it's my first day here so…" She replies, trying to make her voice deeper. It just turns out gravelly and not very masculine.

"Ah. Newbie." The kid's grin widens. "That must be why you don't have a uniform." He says, eyeing her outfit. It is clear by his tone that he doesn't believe her story, but decided to play along.

"Mph." She grunts in reply like she has heard Burt, Puck and Finn do so many times before. _There. That's more boy-like. _

The conversation drops as they both gaze out into the chaos in the room. In her peripheral vision, Danielle examines the guy more closely. He has golden-blonde hair, cropped short, and a tall, athletic figure. He's doesn't look sturdy enough to be a football player, but he certainly wasn't a ballerina.

And his eyes…they were blue, but not a light blue. They were dark. Not the usual shade that people seemed to-

Shit. She was staring into his eyes without realizing it. _Crap!_

The boy's frame shakes with silent laughter as Danielle turns away rapidly, looking at anything but the boy, her cheeks heated. She notices that he keeps watching her, however.

_Way to go, Moretti._

Just then, a pair of big doors opens and another pair of boys come in. One of them is obviously Kurt. Danielle almost jumps forward at the sight of him, but restrains herself and stays against the wall.

"Friend of yours?" the boy asks.

Danielle snorts. "What gave you the clue? We blend so well."

"Oh, yeah, totally." The boy moves in front of her and looks over his shoulder, "I gotta go. I'll be back?"

"Can't guarantee that I will." Danielle says, relieved that the boy was leaving.

"I understand…spy." He says with a wink that sends a jolt through Danielle before going to stand with the group of well-dressed boys in center of the room.

_They must be the Warblers._ Danielle realizes.

The boy that came in with Kurt also goes to join them. In fact, he stands right in the front of the group.

_Great_, Danielle thinks, _we got caught by two of our competitors and one of them is a Rachel._

Then, the performance starts. A few of the boys start singing the melody while the leader, the boy Kurt met, starts singing the lyrics to _Teenage Dream_. An odd song choice, Danielle thinks, but it sounds pretty decent.

The Warblers dance in simple, two step patterns, but they look good doing it. They all harmonize with each other and she has to admit, their back-up vocals are pretty impressive. The group is infectious definitely, with their old-school act. They don't move a lot, but they're classy.

She sees that all of the other boy's in the room are dancing and smiling, obviously enjoying the show.

Danielle also notices that Kurt looks absolutely smitten with the lead boy..

_He's cute_, she'll admit, watching him, _with his tanned skin, dark, styled hair and his blue blazer._ _A little short, but fit-looking._

Danielle starts to make her way over to Kurt, pushing through the blue-blazers and red vests of the Dalton boys. When she stands next to him, she notices how pronounced his smile is. It was wide and happy and…real. He seems to be enjoying himself for the first time in a while. She feels her heart expand at his obvious joy.

Kurt grins at her once and then his eyes flit back to the dark haired boy.

Despite A. her want to get out of Dalton before they got caught and B. her urge to poke and prod Kurt until he tells her more about this boy he seems to like, Danielle watches the rest of the performance in silence, her hips swaying to the music. The tune is infectious and their cover is already busted, so why not?

_They are really good…_

At the end of the song, she claps along with the students and watches Kurt's own enthusiastic response from the corner of her eye. Then, she sees the blonde boy she had talked to before make his way through the disintegrating crowd of Warblers. He nudges one of them, an Asian boy, and nods in her and Kurt's direction. He doesn't look like he's trying to get them in trouble though…he just looks amused.

"Uh…Kurt?" Danielle starts, just as the dark haired boy joins the two in their conversation. "Maybe it's time to get outta here…"

"Huh?" Kurt says cluelessly.

Danielle shakes her head. _Leave it to Kurt to get all twitterpated on a mission._

Before Danielle can talk some sense into her friend, the trio of boys are coming in their direction, eyes locked on theirs.

_Busted._

...

Kurt seemed to think that they got off easy. You know, considering he and Danielle were trespassing on school property during school hours, spying on a rival show choir and disguising themselves as students (poorly, but nonetheless). All the Warblers wanted was to have a meeting with the two McKinley high students the next afternoon at Dalton. Kurt was, naturally, petrified.

"What if they're just going to gang up on us? Or worse, what if they called the police? I can't have that on my record, Danielle! My dad would kill me!"

She had rolled her eyes and shushed him, but, honestly, she was a little worried too. She highly doubted that Burt would approve of them skipping class to spy on a private school in West Lima.

So, once again, they find themselves navigating their way through the halls of Dalton Academy to find the room where the meeting was set to be right after school. The three Warblers Danielle had seen the previous day and another one were waiting for them there, each with a cup of coffee in their hands. They make up quite a diverse crowd, actually. The Asian kid introduced himself first as Wes, and the new kid, a smiling African-American, as David, the dark one that Kurt met as Blaine, and the blond one Danielle had talked to as Jared.

Wes also explained that he and David were two of the three council members of the Warblers…whatever that meant.

As soon as they all sat down, they offered Kurt and Danielle coffee and they both graciously accepted. They sit for a moment as they start on their warm beverages. Danielle savors the smooth taste. It's nothing like the crap they serve at McKinley. Being a rich, private school boy certainly has its benefits.

"It's very civilized for you to give us coffee before beating us up for spying." Kurt finally says, his voice a tiny bit shaky as he tries to make a joke.

The Dalton boys chuckle as if the idea is ludicrous. "We are not going to beat you up." Wes says a half smirk on his face.

"You two were such terrible spies…you aren't exactly much of a threat." David adds.

"Although I do give you props for trying to sneak a girl into an all-boy's school." Jared says, raising his cup to Danielle, who inclines her head towards him coyly.

"Which is why I don't spying on us was the real reason you two came." Blaine finishes, his eyes only on Kurt.

Kurt, for his part, seems a little flustered at this, embarrassed even. Danielle may not have known the reason why Kurt had originally wanted to come to Dalton, but it had become increasingly clear to here why he would be attracted to the private school life. He wanted to know more about this place, who it was for and how someone like him could fit in here, and though Danielle hated the thought of him leaving her at McKinley, she knew that Kurt deserved answers.

But Kurt doesn't speak, so Danielle decides to help him out.

"Can I ask you something?" she says, and all the boys straighten up a little, eager to answer her question. "Are you guys all gay?" she asks bluntly.

Danielle can feel Kurt tense up after the words leave her lips, but knows that he wants very badly to hear the answer.

When the boys chuckle, he deflates a little and Danielle feels faintly embarrassed, but she just sips her coffee and looks seriously back at them.

"Uh, no. I mean, I am." Blaine stammers under Danielle's gaze, making Kurt look up hopefully, "but these two,"-he points at Wes and David-"have girlfriends and Jared-"

"Straight and unclaimed." Jared supplies.

"_Thank, God_." David remarks, shooting the boy an annoyed look. "Susanna was such a pain." The boys all make faces at the memory at what Danielle assumed was a bad time for all of them.

"This is not a gay school," David continues, "We just have a zero tolerance harassment policy."

"Everybody gets treated the same. Everyone is safe. It's pretty simple." Wes says, as if things were always that simple.

_Could it be?_ Danielle wonders. _Are boys like Kurt really safe here? Happy even?_

Not for the first time, Danielle wonders what's going through Kurt's head. She looks over at him to see his eyes tearing up and his chest rising and falling deeply. Immediately concerned, she reaches out for his arm and clutches it.

Then, she notices Blaine's penetrating gaze on the gesture and looks at him defensively.

_If Blaine is gay,_ she reminds herself, _maybe he knows what Kurt is going through. Maybe he can help._

_Do you want to help me out here? _Her eyes ask him.

"Would you guys excuse us?" Blaine asks the boys, his eyes never leaving Danielle's. The boys agree and, after saying their polite farewells, Wes and David stand up and leave. Jared stands, too, but looks unwilling to go. He stands in the doorway and, for some reason, his gaze keeps shooting to Danielle.

"I'd like to talk to Kurt…alone, if that's okay." Blaine says carefully, watching for Danielle's reaction.

Danielle exhales and nods gratefully. "That'd be great." She says softly.

She stands also and walks towards the doorway, meeting Jared's gaze.

"Can I wait out here?" she asks quietly. She gestures over her shoulder. "I don't want to pry."

"Sure." Jared says evenly, but his eyes show some relief.

"I'll be right over there," she calls back to Kurt, and then walks to the other side of the room, Jared following right behind her.

"Is it weird to say that you look way better in girl's clothes?" the tall boy asks once they get some distance from Kurt and Blaine, making Danielle chuckle.

"Nah." She pauses as she sits in an upholstered chair. "I'm sure you boys around here aren't used to the torn jeans, black boots, triple piercings types."

"We certainly don't get a lot of them, no." Jared agrees, sitting beside her in another chair. "Our sister school has the usual: buttoned shirts, knee socks, black shoes-"

"Short skirts."

Jared grins. "Well…I'd say we deserve those to make up for the rest."

"Oh, I see." Danielle smiles at him. _Definitely not gay._

"Yeah. But seriously though,"he leans towards her and looks around, making sure no one is near, "what do girls like you think when you see one of us? All blazered out with the ties and shiny shoes..."

"Is 'blazered' a word?

He rolls his eyes, "Sure."

"Hmm…well, personally, I don't go for the preppy boy-types," she leans back in her chair, "but some of you can pull it off."

"Am I one of them?"

"Do you really want me to answer that?"

"…Nevermind."

She laughs. "That's what I thought."

"I don't want to strike out before I step up to bat." Jared explains.

"You a baseball player?" Danielle asks.

"Only when I was little. I play lacrosse now."

Danielle nods. That makes sense.

"What about you? You do…" he takes in her clothing and heavy eyeliner and stops, considering. She quirks a brow. "You're in the glee club right?" he finally says.

"Yeah, I was blackmailed."

"Ouch. What did you do?"

The thought of Puck finding her in Stroker's makes Danielle feel somewhat wistful. Everything between her and Puck seemed so much less complicated then. But that story is not exactly something that she can just tell a stranger. "I'd rather not talk about it." she mumbles.

They sit in silence for a moment.

"So what is this place like?" Danielle asks, realizing that if Kurt has even the slightest interest in this school, she should be trying to find out as much as she could about it.

_What if Blaine's trying to get him to transfer right now? _

She pushes that thought away for now. She can deal with that possibility later.

"There's a lot to tell. What exactly do you want to know?"

"Well…what are the usual living arrangements?"

"Some of the kids board, but most of us live in the area," he says. "I live in West Lima and so does Blaine."

"And you commute?" she asks in surprise.

"Yep. It's not that long a ride."

"No, I guess not." Danielle says, thinking about the longer commute from Kurt's house. "What about the course load?" she continues.

Jared shrugs. "I've been going to private school since sixth grade, so I may be biased, but I think it's pretty tough. I mean, if you do the work and you'll get the grade you deserve."

That shouldn't be a problem; Kurt is a pretty decent student.

"I know that a couple of the transfers from other schools struggle at first though…" Jared continues.

Danielle nods. _The transition would be tough. _

"So…wait. Is your brother transferring?"

"He's not really my brother," Danielle automatically corrects, then makes a face, "and I doubt it. We have roots at McKinley high and this place is obviously very…" She rubs her thumb and forefinger together.

Jared nods. "Yeah. The tuition can get pretty steep. But my family's been going here for generations. My granddad and father are, like, legacies."

"Does that mean you get a pedestal and juice boy in class?"

Jared smiles brightly. "I wish. It really just means that I can't leave. Not that I'd want to." He shrugs, "This place isn't so bad."

"No," Danielle murmurs, thinking of Karofsky and the other bullies lurking in the halls of McKinley. "It really isn't."

Jared looks puzzled, and is about to ask something when the door opens. It's Blaine. He has a smile on his face and tells Danielle and Jared to come back inside so they can all talk.

Just as the two start going back to room, Danielle's phone rings.

She gestures for Jared to go ahead and takes the call.

"Hello?"

"Hey, girl. Where you at?"

"Out with Kurt." Danielle says. She and Kurt decided not to tell anyone about their trips to Dalton. It could cause problems. "Why, what's up?"

"…"

"Mercedes?"

"Nothing, it can wait until later. Just call me when you get home."

"Are you sure. I'm alone right now if you need to talk." Danielle says concernedly. Mercedes rarely ever has a problem so big that she has to call Danielle or Kurt for advice. She is fiercely independent and can handle herself. If she wanted to talk, it must be bad.

"Okay…listen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no one else was going to tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"Puck came into our mash-up rehearsal today with Artie and he…kinda sorta asked Santana and Brittany out."

"…"

"At least, I think he did. It was kinda confusin'."

"…"

"Danielle?"

"I-I'm here." She exhales. "When did he…When did this happen?"

"…Yesterday. I'm sorry for not telling you right away, but I was gonna see if he would or if you guys were…"

Danielle breathes in deeply.

"He didn't…you guys aren't…?"

"No. No, we never officially broke up."

"…Well, I guess you are now."

"I guess so." Danielle sighs. "Just…ugh. Thanks for telling me, Mercedes."

"Sure. I'm real sorry, girl."

"So am I." Danielle says in a hard voice and hangs up.

When Danielle ends the call, she leans against the partially open doors feeling numb.

She replays her last conversation with Puck over and over again through her head. Didn't she make it clear that they were _not_ breaking up? That they would try to sort things out? Apparently, Puck either didn't listen or didn't care. To be honest, this fact doesn't surprise Danielle given his recent behavior.

_Why can't I just have the boy back that I knew at the beginning of summer? _

Before she can let her thoughts run any further, she forces herself to focus on the task at hand.

_Kurt. Dalton. Jared. Blaine. Warblers. Transfer. Safe._

She takes a deep breath and walks up to the door, overhearing Kurt's conversation with the two Warblers.

"So, is she seeing anyone?" she hears Jared ask unabashedly. She realizes that he is talking about her and flushes, but listens more closely.

"Yes," Kurt says, as if the fact annoys him, "but I hope she breaks up with the guy soon. He's not very good for her…or anyone really."

Suddenly, Danielle wants to argue, to go in there and tell Kurt off for degrading Puck like that.

But the moment passes as quickly as it came. She can't keep defending Puck, especially when the list of things worth praising him for is getting shorter and shorter these days.

Danielle chooses that moment to walk back into the room, pretending not to have heard what they had just discussed…or what Mercedes had told her.

"Kurt? Burt just called. He wants us home, ASAP."

Kurt's face falls. "What, why?"

She just shrugs, not feeling up to lying right now.

Kurt puts and says his goodbyes as Levi and Blaine express their wishes to meet with the McKinley kids again. Both seem equally anxious for Kurt and Danielle's reply.

After exchanging a glance, both of them smile and agree to meet the Dalton kids again sometime.

_Maybe,_ Danielle thinks as she and Kurt depart, _a change in scenery is just what both of us needs._

Scene Four: Choir Room

Of course, Danielle told Kurt everything. She repeated the conversation that she and Puck had a few weeks back in the prison, the way Puck had been acting when he got back and now, the fact that he did, in fact, end up going on the double date with Brittany, Santana and Artie (Artie had texted Danielle apologizing and explaining that Puck took both Santana and Brittany home with him that night).

Danielle is angry. She's hurt. She feels like an idiot. But she refuses to let anyone besides Kurt see it, and even then, she tries to hide the extent of her pain. She will not give Puck or Santana the satisfaction of seeing her hurt.

That Friday, it was the girl's turn to perform their mash-up. Beings she missed so many meetings running to Dalton with Kurt, Danielle had little part in the number, which really sucked because they were actually singing a decent song for once. She also realized that she didn't have a matching outfit to wear; so, she rushed to the Hummel's during lunch to put something together. She ended up in her leather pants, a black tank top with a sweetheart neckline and silver and gold studs along the hemline that, maybe, is a little too short, a black motorcycle jacket she had gotten for the cool summer nights, and her tall black boots. She darkens her eye make-up throws on some red lipstick and some gold hoops and rushes back to the school. In the hallway, right before their performance, Rachel clears her outfit and tries messing up her hair.

"Get the hell off me, Berry!" Danielle growls, swatting Rachel's hands away.

Rachel pouts, "Well if you were here we would have done your hair with you."

"Too bad you weren't here, Raggety Anne. I could have 'accidentally' cut all that pretty red hair off." Santana says in her usual bitchy manner.

If it were any other time, Danielle would roll her eyes and ignore her or come back at her with her own insults. But, considering Santana went home with her boyfriend last night, Danielle was…a little ticked off, to say the least.

"Don't fucking talk to me unless you want a fist in your face, Lopez." Danielle said menacingly, putting the full weight of her famous scowl on the Cheerio.

In shock, Santana backed away a little and her superior expression dropped for an instant. She quickly recovered, however, and shrugs, walking away.

The hallway fell silent as the girls watched the exchange between their two teammates. Danielle ignored them and turned around, flipping her wavy hair around and trying to mess it up a little. It was a quick task. Her hair always seemed to be on the brink of losing control.

A little bit like her, lately.

After about a minute or so, Mr. Schu comes out to tell the girls that the stage is ready and everyone starts talking again. Danielle goes to her place and stands there, just wanting this to be over.

The music starts and they run out, Rachel taking the lead. Theirs is a mash-up of 'Start Me Up' and 'Livin' on a Prayer' and Danielle has to admit, it sounds pretty good. Under different circumstances Danielle might have really enjoyed it. The rocker clothes, the flashing lights, the modern dance moves, the rockin' songs. But Danielle hates every minute of it because _he's_ there.

Puck is sitiing right next to Kurt, a situation that Danielle's friend must not be happy about. Puck clapping and enjoying the show, a smile on his face. Danielle wants to slap it off. She tries to focus on Kurt as she dances and sings back-up, but halfway through the performance, he has his face in his phone. She quickly gets frustrated and forgets the audience, finally focuses on her performance only.

She dances vigorously, throwing her whole body into the moves. She may look a little too aggressive, but it feels good so she doesn't stop. With Mercedes and Rachel taking the solos, she doesn't have to worry too much about her voice. She just dances.

And while she dances, Danielle doesn't notice Puck's gaze following her wherever she moved, watching her with a new zeal.

When the performance is over, Danielle is out of breath and bright-eyed. She thought she'd feel better, but it wasn't enough. She feels like all she did was let a tiny bit of the pressure inside of her out, but all she did was make it rise.

She doesn't pay attention to the post-performance commentary. She couldn't care less. All Danielle wants is to get out of there.

"You look a little of breath there, Moretti." A familiar voice says from in front of her, making Danielle tense up. "A little out of practice, maybe?" Puck smirks, joking with her like he always does.

Danielle's breathing stops. She glares at him, her lip curled. "Shove it up your ass_, _Puckerman."

The room falls silent.

"Whoa. What-?" Puck starts, shocked at her reaction.

"_Fuck you_." She says harshly, her heartbeat ringing in her ears.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Mr. Schu interrupts, looking bewildered at his two students. The Glee kids watch the exchange with wide eyes except Kurt, who is looking at the ground, his eyebrows furrowed. "What is going on with you two?" Mr. Schu asks.

Before either of them reply, Becky Jackson comes running into the room with a note in hand.

"Coach said to give you this." she tells Mr. Schu, then turns and jogs away. Mr. Schu rolls his eyes in exasperation, reads the note and then stands to leave. "Guys, just…chill out for a minute, okay? Rachel and Finn you're in charge. Please get this room back together and don't kill each other." He pleads as he is going out the door.

Immediately, Rachel perks up and turns on the lights, commanding everyone to start moving. The kids walk sluggishly, still shooting glances at the fuming couple. Danielle glares daggers at Puck, but then sighs and turns away. She starts to move the chairs back where they belong half-heartedly, but her heart is still beating wildly, the blood roaring in her ears.

"What the hell was that about?" she hears Puck ask from behind her. It just makes her even madder that he sounds genuinely confused.

Danielle ignores him and keeps working.

"C'mon," he persists. "What did I do wrong this time?"

The only sound in the room is Danielle stacking her chairs. The other kids watch Puck trying to pick a fight with emotions ranging from apprehension, to anticipation, to vindictive joy, to anger.

"What do you want from me, Danielle?!" Puck finally explodes.

Reaching her boiling point, Danielle wrenches herself around and stares at the boy that she tried so hard to be with, tried so hard to please, tried so hard to let her guard down with, and failed to understand.

_What a waste. _The dark thought creeps into Danielle's mind and fuels her anger.

"I want you," Danielle starts in a deadly calm voice. "to stay away from me."

"But-" Puck start to argue, but is cut off by Danielle.

"I am not asking you. I am telling you. Just leave me alone."

With that, she crashes her last chair into place and strides out of the room, leaving Puck's unreadable expression and the kid's whispers behind her. Her reaction was as such that not even Kurt thought to go after her.

_Good_, she thinks.

So, for the second time that week, Danielle skips class, gets in her crappy car and drives away. This time though, she doesn't have a destination in mind. She turns off her phone and just goes.

Picking up a cigarette that Puck kept in her passenger's dash, Danielle rolls down the window and lights up. She doesn't smoke often; cigarettes are deadly, after all. However, every once in a while she thought it was justifiable. It's safer than drinking and driving, after all.

She meanders her way through Lima and eventually finds herself on the highway that Stroker's was off of. As she drives by the run-down club, she thinks for the second time that week of her time there, and the night that Puck found her. Only now, the memory is filled with bitterness. She just keeps driving.

She doesn't know where she's going and she doesn't care but Danielle is determined to go until she forgets about the boy who played her for a fool.

….

Danielle does not get back to the Hummel's until her curfew and goes straight to her room, locking herself away without talking to anybody.

Because of her absence, she is totally unaware of her best friend's own situation in the basement. That day, Kurt took Blaine's advice and confronted Karofsky in school. That day, Karofsky stole Kurt's first real kiss. That day, Danielle's best friend was forever changed and she didn't even know about it. And because she wasn't around, Kurt had gone to Blaine to confide in.

Once again, because of Puck, Danielle wasn't there when Kurt needed her.

Scene Five: WMHS hallway

The next week, Danielle was better prepared to battle her anger towards Puck.

She realized that her outburst at him the previous week had been a little over the top and wanted to come back to school with a fresh start. She still thought that her words were totally justified and still hated Puck for what he did to her, but that was no excuse for her to freak out like she did in front of everyone. So, she kept her cool and went from class to class, barely talking and ignoring Puck altogether. The second part was easier than expected, beings he seemed to take her words seriously and stayed far away from her.

This takes her through the first two days of the week, but by Wednesday, Danielle is faced with a dilemma that challenges her new resolve.

She is walking through the hallway to her next class when she sees Puck running full speed out of Figgin's office, looking very upset. Earlier, Principal Figgins had called him and Mr. Schu out of Glee club to his office. Danielle guesses that whatever went down in there wasn't good for Puck.

She stands there, watching his retreating figure, fighting herself over what to do. Does she run after him or just go on her way?

_Just because you aren't together doesn't mean you can't help him_. She thinks.

_What makes you think you _can_ help him?_ Another side of her argues. _Maybe he's beyond help._

That very thought is what propels Danielle forward. No one is beyond help. She's the living proof of that.

She climbs the stairs quickly and walks through the hall to the spot where Puck's locker is. She sees him there, stuffing his jacket and other items into his bag hurriedly. She thinks that this is the first time she's ever seen the books that lie at the bottom of his locker.

She approaches him slowly but he isn't paying attention and doesn't see her until she is right in front of him. When he does see her, he simply bites his lip and looks her over once before continuing to stuff his backpack.

"What are you doing?" she asks casually, after watching him for a few more moments.

"I'm getting out of here. Might never come back." He pauses and gives her a significant look. "I would think you'd know all about that."

"I never left." Danielle argues softly.

"Oh, yeah? Then what the hell was yesterday all about?" he snaps.

"You cheated on me, _Noah_." She reminds him, letting some acid drip into her voice.

"…Did Artie tell you that?"

Danielle shakes her head. "It doesn't matter who told me. I know."

"No, you think you know." Puck argues, dropping his bag and gesturing at her. "Look, I went out with Artie, Brittany and Santana to dinner. That much is true. The dude needed a wingman, okay? But the little nerd didn't take my dating advice so I said things I shouldn't have-"

"What things?"

"I said that…" he gazes wavers, "that I was taking Brittany and Santana back to my place." He exhales deeply. "But I didn't. I took them home, just ask them."

The idea makes Danielle's heart soar. _He didn't cheat, he didn't cheat…_

But then she is brought back to reality.

She hardens her gaze. "And I'm supposed to just trust what Santana says? You're kidding me right?" Danielle says incredulously, "But you know what, it doesn't even matter if that's true. The fact is you went out with someone behind my back, you've been ignoring me ever since this whole mess started and you think that it's okay. It is not okay, Puck."

"You said that we should get space-"

"Yeah, _space_. Not completely ignore each other and date different people. I didn't want to break up, Puck!"

"Well me neither! But I came back and you didn't talk to me! What was I supposed to think?" Puck says, starting to properly vent, "I thought that _you_ wanted a break from _me_. I thought that you wanted me to leave you alone because I'm a. Fucking. Failure!" he emphasizes each word by slamming his locker shut, though it refuses to close.

Danielle just stands there, silently taking in what he just told her. Her mouth had dropped open and her eyes are wide as she realizes…she may have been almost as guilty as her boyfriend in the 'sucky relationship problems' department.

"Why are you even here? What the hell do you want from me?" Puck continues, rounding on her. His dark eyes shine with a slightly manic light, immediately putting Danielle in 'calming mode'.

"I came to help you." She says softly, putting her hand on his arm.

He jerks away. "What a load of crap." He spits. "Nobody wants to help me! Nobody cares about me! I have to look out for myself." He slams his locker close one last time and it stays shut. Not looking the least bit satisfied, Puck storms off down the hall.

"Puck! Puck, hold on!" Danielle calls, chasing after him. He doesn't stop. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry that I didn't talk to you while you were locked away. I'm sorry that I couldn't talk to you when you got back. I'm sorry that I made you think that I didn't want you, because that isn't true. I wanted to back more than anything." He stopped and listened to her. She grabs his arm again, and this time he doesn't move away. "Please, tell me what happened." She says. "I want to help you."

Puck takes a deep breath, the tension in his body relaxing ever so slightly.

"They wanted to send me back to juvie because they said my community service with Artie was bogus." He finally mutters, "I am not going back there. I refuse."

"You…didn't really like it there."

"Of course not, it's juvie! I lied, before. It was frickin' terrifying there. I was jumped by three gangbangers who tore off my nipple ring on my first day." He says, meeting Danielle's gaze and shaking his head. "There are some hard dudes in there. Guys with no families, guys who look at you like you're some kind of dog they can't wait to kick the crap out of."

Danielle nods her head sympathetically. "That's another reason why I couldn't risk going to a group home. Some of those kids…" She trails off, not having the words to describe her thoughts. "But you're not one of them. You're tough and reckless, but you're not cruel or heartless."

"I'm surprised that you think that after how you acted Thursday." Puck says with a wisp of a grin.

"Yeah, well…you cheated on me, didn't you?" she defends herself.

"I swear, nothing happened between me and Santana or Brittany." Puck says honestly. "Believe me, I may have been dumb enough to take them on a dine-and-dash while I was on probation, but I'm not stupid enough to cheat on you with them."

"You're not dumb." Danielle says kindly, running her hand through his mohawk and leaning her head against his chest. "…I believe you." She says finally, "I don't forgive you for taking them out and for ignoring me before..."

Puck wraps his arm around her. "I shouldn't have done that. Ignored you, I mean."

"And I shouldn't have told you I needed space when you needed someone around." She pulls back a little and looks at him, "But I can't read minds, Puck, if you want me around, you have to tell me."

"Well, when they land me back in juvie, I'll be sure to tell you." Puck says bleakly.

"You're not going back to juvie."

"If I don't find a new community service I will."

"Well, what are your other options?"

He scowls. "Picking up trash along the freeway..."

"Well, then you're just gonna have to suck it up and do it, because there is no shortcut here and I don't want to lose you again. I don't' care if I have to drag you there myself."

"Wait." Puck says, his eyes widening. "You're…you're not giving up on me."

Danielle's gaze softens. "No. I'm not." She sighs. "The truth is, neither of us has been very open with each other the past few weeks. We just need to start over again." She looks at him seriously. "This time though, don't hide shit like this from me okay? If you feel like robbing a store, please call me first so I can stop you. You tend to be self destructive without someone to keep your focus on."

"Oh, and I guess that someone would be you?" Puck says playfully, tightening his arm around Danielle's waist.

"Only if it's just me." She tells him seriously, her expression telling him that there is no other option. He gets only her, or none of her.

"Deal." Puck says easily and then pecks her on the lips. Both teens smile as they embrace each other for the first time in a month.

The two are so wrapped up in each other that they don't even notice the boy in the yellow jacket jut down the hall. Kurt sees the couple, and frowns. While he is happy that Danielle seems happy, he doesn't approve of the match and will be waiting for Puck to screw up again. The boy opens his locker and pins up his newest pictures, a sign that says 'Courage' (from the message Blaine texted him) and a school photo of the Dalton boy who was so kind and compassionate towards him. Not to mention cute.

Just as he closes his locker and starts for his next class, Kurt is slammed into the locker by Karofsky, who gives him a threatening glare before continuing down the hall. The hit was especially hard and painful for Kurt, so he sits down on the ground, his back to the lockers looking very sad and beaten down.

He can't help but wonder what it would be like to go to Dalton and be fearless, be confident and be amongst those who understood him. With Danielle standing at what seems like light-years away, the thought is so much more appealing.

Every step Danielle takes towards Puck, she is forced to take one away from Kurt.

...

_**REVIEW!**_


	16. Chapter 16

_Again, sorry for the long wait, but here's a long one to make up for it. ENJOY! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW..._

_Songs are 'Marry You' by Bruno Mars and 'How You Love Me Now' by Hey Monday :)_

**2:5 Don't Lie to Me**

Scene One: WMHS

Danielle knows something's up.

He won't tell her, but she just knows there is.

Kurt has been hanging out with Blaine for two weeks now, going out for coffee, seeing community plays, and though he insists nothing is going on between them, Kurt is always starry-eyed when he comes home from his 'not-dates'. It warms Danielle's heart, especially since Kurt hasn't really smiled since that day at Dalton. She isn't sure what caused it, but something shifted inside Kurt and Danielle thinks that it has to do with Karofsky.

When she asked him about it, Kurt insisted that nothing happened and refused to talk about it. So, Danielle just watches him from afar and worries about him whenever he' out of her sight.

Meanwhile, things between her and Puck have gotten better, or at least, back to where they were at the beginning of the school year. Danielle still wishes for her summer boy back, but doesn't complain. She knows Puck is making a real effort to make it work. He even agreed to do his community service picking up garbage, though he refuses to do it unless Danielle hangs out with him via telephone. She mentally promises to leave cash in the Hummel's couch to pay for the bill.

Despite the obvious improvement in their relationship, one thing hasn't gotten any better. Danielle's issue with sex still hasn't improved and she is beyond frustrated with herself.

Every time she and Puck have another go, Danielle's mood and confidence plummets. She hates, hates, _hates_ him seeing her so vulnerable and broken over something so simple. She likes him, she trusts him, she wants to be with him, so what is she missing? She was starting to think that maybe her father really had broken her after all and that this was something nobody, not even Puck, could fix.

She wondered if this had crossed his mind, too.

Through all of this, Danielle can't help but feel distanced from him. When she goes to him, he's there, but otherwise, he seems content to be left alone or to be around other people, which made her uneasy. She wants him to be friendly with other people, sure, and it wasn't that she didn't trust him, she did. But…maybe she didn't when it came to certain things. The truth is, a part of her is just waiting for him to decide that he's had enough and leave, which should make her hold on tighter, but it doesn't. She just sits there, waiting for him to go.

She guessed they had just reached that point as a couple. It was bound to happen sooner or later.

She knew nothing this good could last.

…

The next Monday, Danielle is making her way to her first period class, when she is suddenly accosted by a giddy Burt, Carole and Kurt. Needless to say, it is a surprise. After Burt practically squeals with glee in finding her, he demands that they be taken to Finn. As they walk, Kurt and Danielle try to get some sort of explanation out of the adults, but despite their pleadings, they refuse to say anything about the nature of their visit. They both look extremely pleased, however, Danielle can't help but notice.

Finally, they spot the tall teenager and approach him at his locker.

Finn freezes at the sight of his mother and her boyfriend, and eyes Kurt and Danielle suspiciously. "What's going on?" he asks, confused.

"They found me and Danielle and forced us to bring them to you." Kurt explains, his eyes wide with excitement, "They didn't tell us anything."

"They just giggled like two-year-olds the whole time." Danielle jokes.

Then, Burt and Carole start arguing about who was going to spill the beans. It's cute, but Danielle is curious and is tempted to intervene. Finally, Burt says:

"So, today I drove Carole here and we snuck into that classroom where Kurt introduced us, very romantic of me if I may say so, and-"

"He proposed! He proposed!" Carole shrieks, totally unable to hide her excitement.

_What!_

Burt and Carole share a kiss as Kurt and Danielle exchange wide grins. This is unbelievable.

"Wow, this…just happened?" Finn says, looking…not very pleased.

Everyone ignores him, though. Kurt reaches for Carole's hand and examines the ring closely, cooing at it and complimenting his father's choice while Carole reaches around to hug Danielle. From over her shoulder, Danielle grins at Burt who beams back.

She is really happy for the both of them; if any people in this world deserved a second chance at love, it was Burt and Carole.

"We wanted you three to be the first ones to know." Carole says, pulling back.

"Yeah, after the kids in that homeroom." Burt quips, making Finn flinch. Danielle understands. Having your mom get proposed to in front of your classmates is kind of embarrassing.

"I'm so excited and-and nervous." Carole gushes.

"This is just what I needed!" Kurt insists. "Don't fret I'll take everything from here. After all, I've been planning weddings since I was two. I have a trunk full of wedding magazines hidden under my bed that we can look through together." He reassures the future bride.

"So that's what I stubbed my toe on…" Danielle mutters, making Burt snort.

"You and me both, kid."

"I'm thinking fall wedding colors." Kurt continues, giddily, "And an autumnal theme."

"Just don't go too overboard, Kurt we want to save our money for the honeymoon. That's right, we're going to Waikiki in that hotel where they keep the actors from 'LOST'."

Finn, all this time, has remained silent and looks a little dazed.

Carole notices a second after Danielle.

"Finn you-you haven't said anything." She says, with a concerned look.

"Uh, I-I guess I'm just a little stunned." Finn stammers.

"Hey, don't worry," Burt says, clapping Finn on the shoulder. "I'm already looking for a bigger house, one where everyone can get their own rooms, alright?"

Finn nods, looking a little happier with the situation. Danielle realizes that this was it, the final piece of forgiveness from Burt for what Finn said to Kurt the previous year.

"Come on, Finn," Carole pleads with her son, "be happy for me."

"Take it," Danielle mouths at him, _Why couldn't he just be happy?_

Finn smiles, then, a real smile that reaches his eyes. "I am mom. Really."

Carole's eyes tear up as Burt's grin widens. Kurt jumps up and down once and then immediately continues talking about wedding plans and preparations. Burt and Carole jump in every once in awhile while Finn stands by, still looking a little unsure, but happy.

Danielle can't help but feel a little out of place amongst all that joy. She stands there, smiling at her friends and…whatever Burt and Carole are to her, but her mind is miles away. She just doesn't understand why Burt and Carole bothered to include her in their family moment. She's not one of them after all, despite her current living situation. In fact, he being there has caused more problems than blessings.

Every night for the next few weeks, Danielle ponders over this, wondering why the Hummel-Hudson's bother trying to make her feel like family.

And why she doesn't try to stop them.

…

Kurt's in a frenzy through the next few weeks with the all of the wedding plans he has to make. Not that he's complaining, he loves what he does and is ecstatic that his father and future step-mother put so much faith in him. All of that good faith comes with a price, however; Kurt can't even sleep most nights because his brain is restless with ideas and things to remember. By the middle of the second week, he already has a basic itinerary set up and has taken both Carole and his father out for dress and tux fittings. Though there was still so much to do, Kurt is confident that he can get it done.

At school, however, things are getting, much, much worse. Ever since Karofsky threatened to kill Kurt if he told anyone about the kiss (though Kurt hated referring to what Karofsky did to him as a 'kiss') the bully had been giving Kurt a much harder time. He was rougher, angrier and cruel. Kurt feels like he's in a horror movie, with a homicidal monster following him around all of the time and he can't do anything about it. Nobody can do anything about it.

Kurt will be strong. He will take whatever the world throws at him and go wherever he chooses, be whoever he wants to be…

-he just wishes that Karofsky would leave him alone.

…

Scene Two: Choir Room

Over the next few days, Kurt's very dangerous situation had become very apparent to the Glee club as well. It gets so bad that Rachel-all-about-me-Berry even calls a meeting for the girls about it. Brittany, Tina, Rachel and Danielle agree that the boys in the Glee club should make more of an effort to protect Kurt since he can't do it himself. The girls had tried escorting him between classes and keeping their eyes on him, but it honestly isn't helping. Karofsky is simply too big, too mean and too violent.

So, the girls decided they should get their boyfriends to retaliate on Kurt's behalf.

"So we're gonna fight violence with violence?" Quinn asks skeptically. Well, most of the girls agreed.

"No!" Rachel shouts, "I'm not saying they should hit him-"

"Well I am." Danielle interrupts loudly. "Screw Karofsky! Any other guy he would have picked on _would _havefought him by now. Kurt can't and won't so it makes sense that his friends and _future brother_ would." She directs the last part at Rachel, who rolls her eyes.

Finn's lack of intervention in this whole situation is what ticked Danielle off the most and frankly, this should have been done a long time ago.

"Of course they will." Rachel snaps. "We're Kurt's friends!" She huffs and rounds back onto Quinn. "What I'm saying is that we need to defend Kurt and there's strength in numbers."

"Finn's shown that he won't do anything by himself," Danielle adds, "and Puck can't do anything because he's on probation; I've spent too many hours calling him while he picks up garbage on a loud freeway to get him sent away now. Obviously, Artie can't do it alone and Mike and Sam probably just need a little push in the right direction to get on board." All of the girls nod in agreement except for Quinn. Danielle turns to Rachel and gives her an approving nod. "This is probably the best idea you've ever had, Berry."

Rachel blinks in surprise, but accepts the thanks. They are in agreement; they would get their boyfriends to finally take a stand against Karofsky in order to make sure that Kurt is safe.

They knew they could never live with the consequences if something happened to Kurt and they did nothing.

…

In the end, Mike and Artie are the only ones who go actually through with the girl's plan. Quinn neglected to tell Sam about the intervention, Puck had to stand on the sidelines and watch and Finn was mysteriously absent. Once Karofsky fought back against Mike and Artie, though, Sam jumped into the fray and beat up the bigger boy pretty bad, getting a black eye for himself in the process. Afterwards, the guys had told everyone in Glee club how awesome Sam was. Danielle sat by Puck's side, silently comforting him as the boys told their tale. She knew that Puck was majorly pissed that he missed a good fight, but that he'd get over it. She was proud of him for resisting. Finn, however, she was none too pleased with and it looked like Rachel wasn't either.

_Why hadn't he been there? Kurt is going to be his brother, for cripes sake, why wouldn't he help him? _

But she kept her questions to herself and just basked in their small victory. Though Kurt admonished them for involving themselves, Sam and the guys showed Karofsky that they were done taking his crap and that Kurt was now untouchable unless he wanted another beating.

Danielle hoped that maybe now that Kurt has a few pairs of fists on his side, the bully will finally stop.

…

Two weeks after the intervention and with the wedding only another week away, Kurt holds a dance seminar for Finn and Burt in the choir room. Danielle blows off her study hall to come and assist Kurt at his request.

"I'll need all the help I can get with those two." He grumbled tiredly, making Danielle laugh.

"Welcome." Kurt starts, beaming at his two dance pupils sitting in the choir room's plastic chairs, "Let's get started." He turns to his father, "Dad, you're gonna have to pull off an amazing precedent in your first dance with Carole, and if Uncle Andy's 40th birthday party was any indication-"

Danielle starts giggling uncontrollably at the memory and even Finn cracks a grin. They had both met Uncle Andy, Kurt's mother's brother, over the summer on a weekend road trip to Vermont. Burt had gotten a little drunk at the party and danced crazily, making Carole blush, Kurt frown, and Finn and Danielle laugh hysterically.

"What are you talking about?" Burt defends himself, "My moves were great!"

Instead of arguing, Kurt gets him up and gestures for Burt to take his waist and hand. They talk about song selections for a moment before the music starts and Kurt starts teaching him the basic moves.

"Opposite me, opposite me!" Kurt instructs, wincing when his dad stomps on his toes.

"Look at me I'm dancin'!" Burt calls gleefully.

"Yep." Kurt says appeasingly, rolling his eyes at his father's childishness.

Danielle can't stop smiling at the sight.

"Okay, okay, Danielle!" Kurt calls, "Danielle, here, come practice with Dad. I've gotta teach Finn."

Danielle jumps up and lets Burt put his hand on her waist. At the touch, she stiffens slightly, but tells herself to relax and quickly starts moving so she can get used to Burt's touch. Burt doesn't even notice her pause. Soon, she finds herself spinning around the room with the taller man, who looks like a child entranced by some magic act.

"My feet are moving and there's music." He states, looking down at her, eyes crinkling.

"That's all there is to it, rookie."

They stumble around for a little longer while Kurt tries to convince Finn to get in the standard dance position. Then, Danielle sees something that makes her stop.

Karofsky is in the doorway.

The tall boy says nothing. He just makes a lewd gesture to Kurt and Finn, and then walks away.

Neither Kurt, Finn, nor Danielle say a word.

The music had stopped.

"What the hell was that?" Burt asks, making all three of them jump.

"Nothing, Dad. It's nothing." Kurt says quickly.

"That was not nothing. Who the hell's that kid?" Burt's giddiness is gone and he is back to being papa bear again.

Kurt freezes, obviously not wanting to say anything, but not wanting to lie to his father either.

"Tell him Kurt," Danielle finally urges her friend. "Tell him or I will."

"Tell me what?"

Kurt looks at him helplessly. "I-I…"

"His name is Dave Karofsky" Finn supplies, his eyes downcast. Everyone turns to look at him. "…He's been harassing Kurt for a few weeks now."

"Harassing him how?" Burt demands angrily.

"Just-" Kurt jumps in, "Just shoving me and giving me a hard time." The boy says quietly.

Burt whips his head around, catching another glimpse of Karosky as he rounds the corner. "There's more." He says, analyzing his son again, "There's something else you're not telling me."

The room is silent as they wait for Kurt's reply.

He doesn't indulge them readily.

"Kurt," Danielle starts, trying to meet her best friend's gaze, "Kurt please. I know you said before that this was yours to handle alone, but this has gone too far." She pleads with him, "Let us help you."

"He threatened to kill me."

The statement is blunt, simple and terrifying. There is a brief pause as it hangs in the air.

_No._

Danielle is in shock by the admission, then, suddenly, she is filled with such a rage that she can hear the blood roaring in her ears and feel it boiling in her veins.

After a micro-second, Danielle hears Burt charging out of the door and immediately turns and follows after him. She doesn't think, doesn't rationalize, she just goes. They take off through the hallways, Danielle behind Burt, dodging students and teachers, intent on catching Karofsky and getting answers…or making him pay.

In the sea of people, Danielle is having a hard time finding the jock in his varsity jacket, despite his huge size. Burt finds him, though, and when he does, he pins Karofsky against a wall with his arm, making the younger boy gasp and panic. Danielle gets caught in the crowd and tries to push her way through, elbowing people left and right.

"You like picking on people?" She hears Burt ask Karofsky in a menacing voice. "Why don't you try me?"

Danielle finally breaks through and stands behind Burt, unsure of what do to…considering whether she should do anything.

Burt is breathing hard, too hard for someone that recently had a heart attack. And though Karofsky deserves this, Burt could get in a lot of trouble…

She stands there, deliberating, as Karofsky looks around for help, but his saviors take an unlikely form when Finn and Kurt finally show up.

"Burt, stop!" Finn yells, trying to pull the larger man back.

"Please, you're sick…" Kurt pleads, taking his father's arm.

Without taking his gaze away from Karofsky, Burt takes away his arm and steps back. The bully quickly starts to make his escape, looking back at Burt with wide, scared eyes. Before he can get out of her sight, however, Danielle follows after him.

"Danielle!" she hears Kurt call after her, but keeps going. She's had enough.

When Karofsky realizes that he is being followed, he whirls around, looking down at Danielle with a crazed expression.

But she doesn't shy away. Danielle steps up to him, looking his straight in the eye.

"If you ever," she starts slowly, deliberately, "ever, come near him again, you'll be sorry."

Karofsky tries to sneer; it looks pathetic. "Is that a threat?" he asks shakily.

Danielle leans in closer, giving him the full force of her glare. "It's a promise."

The boy twitches, and then turns and storms away. The very next day, Burt gets an audience with Principal Sylvester's and David's father and Karofsky is expelled from McKinley High School indefinitely.

Finally, Kurt, Danielle and the rest of the Glee club can relax, knowing that Kurt is safer in the school's hallways. With just a week before Burt and Carole's wedding, everything finally seems to be going right.

Of course, however, that always seems to be the time when things start to fall apart.

…

Scene Three: Wedding Day

After weeks and weeks of planning, the morning of the wedding finally arrives and Danielle is excited to get the whole affair over with. In the span of a little over a month, she's tasted more cake, looked at more wedding attire, talked to more photographers and visited more dance halls than she ever wanted to again. The whole process made her decide that if she ever wanted to get married, she'd just elope.

Not that she told Puck that; her boyfriend was very skittish about weddings, so Danielle hardly talked to him about anything related to Burt and Carole's wedding plans.

With Kurt, however, she talked for hours and hours while they pored over magazines and drove all around Ohio. Though her friend was exhausted, Danielle could tell he was happy with the way everything worked out...or was supposed to work out. So far, everything had been practically perfect (as far as Danielle was concerned, anyway) but she knew that Kurt was determined to see the rest of the event go off without a hitch before he would declare it a success. He had everything planned down to the micro-second.

It was agreed upon that the girls from the Glee club would be the bridesmaids and would wear red dresses while the boys would wear nice suits and be the groomsmen. Kurt was the best man, and Finn was Carole's man of honor. They had told numerous jokes at Finn's expense on that one, making Finn a little reluctant to take the role, suggesting Rachel instead. Danielle and Kurt had, of course, squashed that notion like a bug.

Carole and Burt both tried to force a larger role in the wedding on Danielle, but she insisted that she was happy just being Burt's only 'groomsmaid'. She only got away with it because Kurt really wanted the numbers to work out evenly and decided to let it slide.

So, after a late night of fun games and chick-flicks, Danielle, Carole and the other Glee girls excitedly get dressed and groomed in the Hudson's small home. The girls chatter excitedly around the overwhelmed bride-to-be, but Carole still smiles at them and accepts their compliments graciously. Occasionally though, she would shoot Danielle a face and Danielle would try to get the girls to back off a little.

"Okay, okay, give her some air, will ya? Berry, go fix your hair. No, Santana, let Tina help her! God knows what you'll try to do. Quinn, can you come help me with this?"

All of the bridesmaids had different dresses, shoes and hairstyles but they all had little flowers pinned on their head. Danielle's hair was in a curly bun in the back of her head that Quinn somehow made look both elegant and messy at the same time. She wore simple gold hoop earrings and had Puck's black chord wrapped around her ankle (Kurt had tried to convince her to take it off, but she refused). Her dress was red, like everyone else's and reached just above her knees. Its thick straps tied around her neck, leaving her with a modest V-neck hem and a bare upper-back. Danielle liked it well-enough. She'd been secretly twirling in its swishy skirt all morning whenever she was out of everyone's sight.

By the time Kurt comes in, Carole and the girls have their hair, nails and makeup done. Kurt's job is to put Carole in her dress and tie off any other loose strings. After working on the boys all morning, it was obvious that he was a little flustered. While they dress Carole, he complains to Danielle that her boyfriend in particular was a pain.

"It's like he was scared or something!" Kurt seethes, zippering up the side of Carole's beautiful gown.

Funny, Danielle had gotten the same vibe.

"He's just like any other boy his age." Carole tells Danielle, encouragingly "Don't worry about it. It took me _years_ to get Finn's father to propose and he only agreed because Finn was already on the way!"

"The point of no return." Danielle says, gravely, making Carole laugh.

"Danielle! Stop making her laugh, she needs to keep still." Kurt says as he carefully pins Carole's veil into place. "…There."

They step back and admire their work.

"Wow…" Danielle breathes.

Carole stands in front of the mirror, looking at herself in amazement. "…I-I never thought…never dreamed I'd…" She starts to tear up.

Kurt snaps out of his stupor. "No, no, no, no, none of that! You're makeup." He reminds her.

Carole nods and gives him a wide smile. "Thank you."

"No." Kurt says seriously, but softly, "Thanks you, for making my dad so happy…and making me feel so welcome."

"Aw, you're always welcome sweetie," Carole tells him, then envelops him in a big hug. It' a beautiful step-mother/son moment.

Danielle looks at the clock. "Uh…Kurt?"

"Omigosh, it's time! We have to get out of here!"

The girls quickly piled into their respective cars and take off to the hall, anxious to see their boyfriends looking their best. When they get there, Danielle and Kurt meet up with Finn and together, they take Carole to her waiting place, quickly exchange a few words with Burt, and then go to wait with the rest of the Glee kids while Kurt runs around doing God-knows-what.

When she first sees Puck all dressed up, Danielle is a little floored. He looks older, more serious and very much unlike the unruly delinquent he's been for the past few weeks. She really, really likes it.

He, on the other hand, doesn't seem too excited about Danielle's dress, but that could just be because it was a little modest compared to Santana's.

_But this is a wedding, a time to be classy, not sexy._ Danielle reminds herself.

Puck doesn't say much beyond a greeting and a quick kiss, and Danielle is a little disappointed. Didn't he have anything to talk about? Any funny Bachelor party stories to tell her?

As they stand waiting in the back of the room, Danielle nudges him with her hip.

"Do you really hate the dress that much?" she murmurs.

He looks surprised. "No. Why?"

"You've barely looked at me all day."

He looks down and crinkles his brow. "Sorry, guess I just…" He pauses and looks at her. "I just don't like weddings." He says bluntly.

Danielle chuckles and nods. "I can understand that. You should have seen how much work Kurt had to do for all of this. Seems like a lot of trouble for a few hours."

Puck just grunts in reply, looking around the room again.

Danielle watches her boyfriend and suddenly feels a little uncomfortable. _What is the matter with him?_

"Guys," Rachel scream-whispers, "we're on!"

They all stand up straight and crowd towards the door. Danielle sees Kurt and gives him a small grin. It must have looked okay, because he grins back, looking a little anxious, but excited.

Then the music starts and they all watch as Finn makes his way down the aisle, starting the procession by singing the opening lines of Bruno Mars's 'Marry You'.

Rachel goes prancing down the aisle next, followed by Quinn and Sam, then Kurt and Mercedes. Artie, Brittany and Santana go next, with the girls carrying gold streamers.

"You ready?" Puck asks just Mike and Tine go out. They're next.

She takes his hand and smiles at him.

Then they are off,

_Is it the look in your eyes, or is it this dancing juice?_

Danielle sings, practically running down the aisle, hand-in-hand with Puck. Then, he surprises her by picking her up bridal style and twirling her around, singing:

_Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you._

They both go to the right side of the altar sing with the rest of the club. The room is electric as they dance around, smiling brightly at each other.

The hall looks...so full of life. There are plants and green everywhere, but also a lot of reds and golds, sticking to Kurt's autumn theme. The guests are smiling and clapping along as the kids dance around the room before coming back to the front.

Then, Burt starts to make his way down the aisle, jumping and dancing like a crazy person.

_Just say "I do"…_

_(Bum, bum, bum, bum_

_Bum, bum, bum, bum)_

Danielle and the girls vocalize loudly as Carole comes to top of the aisle, her smile radiant. She starts dancing down the aisle as well, mouthing the words to the song.

Burt meets her halfway up the aisle and takes her arm and the two of them proceed joyfully towards the altar.

_Cause it's a beautiful night, we're lookin' for something dumb to do_

_Hey baby, I think I wanna marry_ _you._

There is a standing ovation from the guests as the song finishes.

Before the ceremony begins, Carole looks lovingly back towards Finn, and then leans around Burt to smile at Kurt and Danielle, who stand side-by-side. She then surprises Danielle by holding her beautiful bouquet out for her to hold. Danielle stands in shock for a moment, and takes it gently, afraid she might drop it. Burt and Kurt looks at her approvingly before exchanging smiles of their own. Then, Burt and Carole's gazes find each other's and don't stray again.

Kurt looks as if he might cry of happiness. Danielle reaches up and squeezes his shoulder, once, reassuringly.

Mercifully, the service is short thanks to Kurt's planning, and Burt and Carole are set to do most of the talking…which only makes Kurt even more nervous because he has no idea what they are going to say.

Burt goes first.

"I'm not really known for having a way with words…" he starts, addressing the crowd clearly and informally, "You know, when you're a kid, adults will tell you a lot of things. But one thing they neglect to mention is how sad life can be. I lost somebody I loved very much and Kurt…" Burt turns to his son, "Kurt lost his mom. And that killed me."

There is a pause as Burt looks at Kurt and Carole looks over at Finn, both of them thinking about the pain their families had endured when the person they loved was lost.

"We got by," Burt continues, "but looking back-I want to apologize to you, Kurt. What we were living just…wasn't living." Carole nods at Finn in agreement. Then, Burt turns back to the crowd.

"You know that saying that when God closes a door, he opens a window? Well," he chuckles, "sometimes outta nowhere he'll do you one better and he'll kick a whole wall down." Danielle laughs as Kurt sniffles. She takes his hand.

"He grabbed me by the shoulders," Burt says, turning now to Carole, "and He pointed me towards this woman right here. And He said: "Here she is. Go get her."

"You're everything Carole. Words can't describe you. You're everything. And I will love you until the day I die." Burt finishes sincerely.

"Okay…" Carole mouths and then sniffles, composing herself.

Danielle's eyes sting a little too. She glances behind her briefly and is shocked to find Puck looking straight at her, his dark eyes steady. When she meets his gaze, he quickly looks up at the ceiling, but she knows that in that moment, she was on his mind…and suddenly, she feels steadier.

Danielle turns back around when Carole starts speaking.

"I'm lucky," she tells the guests. "Most women, when they get married, they get one man. I get two," she says, looking straight at Kurt, who is crying openly now. "And a daughter," she continues, making Danielle jump, "something I've never even dared to dream of. One of you saved me from my wardrobe, one of you saved me from my grief and the other one just saved _me_." She finishes, looking back at Burt.

Then, she looks at Kurt and Danielle lovingly. "Kurt, you are an _amazing_ young man and Danielle, you are such a good, genuine person. I'm not only getting a son and a daughter, I'm getting two friends." Danielle and Kurt nod their thanks through their grins. Danielle prays her tears won't make her makeup run.

"Finn," Carole continues, turning around, "I know you were resistant at first, but I am so _proud of you_. I've watched you grow into a man. But I think I'm most proud that you've become a brother to Kurt and Danielle."

Finn nods and sneaks a glance to Kurt and Danielle, who grin at him.

"We are five people, becoming a family." Carole finishes as she and Burt link hands. Kurt takes Danielle's before reaching for his father's as Carole reaches for Finn's, making them all connected

It is a strange, beautiful moment.

After that, things wind down again and the service continues. Burt and Carole say their "I do's" and kiss, sealing their marriage.

Danielle promises herself that she will never forget this moment.

The moment when she became part of a family.

…

Scene Five: Reception

_Now this is more like it._ Puck thinks, watching the post-nuptial activities. After standing through two hours of photographs and another hour of waiting for some kind of food at the reception, Puck is feeling…somewhat better.

Somewhat.

But now the band is playing, the Hummel's had their first dance already and the floor was open, but he and Danielle weren't on it. They hadn't danced since the first number. Well, _he _hadn't danced. She had given up on him awhile ago and went off with Mercedes and Quinn.

Earlier, without anything to use as a distraction, it was hard to get away from Danielle. Now, he was grateful for the reprieve. He knew he was being an ass; what girl wouldn't want her boyfriend's attention at a wedding? But he couldn't do it. Not if he didn't want her to get any ideas…not if he didn't want to get any ideas himself…she did look amazing today…

_Snap, outta it, Puckerman! _Puck thought fiercely, _You gotta get through this, just a couple more hours…_

The thought of sitting alone for even another minute was very unappealing, but not as bad as what might happen if he chose to spend go to Danielle. What he told her earlier about hating weddings wasn't true. As a hardcore party dude, weddings were his thing. This particular wedding however…

Puck sighs.

If he can't control himself, control whatever he'd been feeling lately…the results could be disastrous. It's for the best that he just stay away from her until the party was over.

God, he really needed a drink.

Puck stands and stretches, watching Danielle on the dance floor before going to the kitchen, hoping to sneak some booze.

As he walks in the swinging door, he is immediately accosted by a young, blonde waitress, one who had briefly caught his eye earlier.

But, like the rest of them lately, she hadn't made an impact.

"What are you doing here, hot stuff?" She asks him, looking up at him with big brown eyes.

"Just looking for a drink." Puck replies, smiling charmingly, something that came all too easy for him.

"Aren't you a little young for stuff like that?"

Puck snorts. "Please. I've dated women older than the wine out there."

The woman smiles and stands up straighter, tilting her head to the side. "Well then…we might have something in the back, if you're interested."

Puck pauses for a moment. He knows what this is, what it means if he accepts. Really, it won't mean anything, won't change anything, he's already tried before…but maybe, just maybe, this time will be different. Maybe this time, he can find himself again.

So Puck gives her another coy grin and wraps his arm around her waist as she guides him away from the kitchen into some dark corner where they can be alone.

_Maybe this, _he thinks, _will make it more bearable._

…

"Jackson? Jackson, there are empty trays out there! Empty! Let' refill those, 'kay? Chef Michael, I think we'll be ready for cake soon! Yes, yes, I'm sure it's fantastic. Susan? Susan, where the heck did you get to?"

Kurt's job isn't over yet. While his father and new step-mom are enjoying their marital bliss, Kurt still has to make sure that everything run smoothly. His biggest priority now, was to make sure the food was taken care of.

"Does anyone know where Susan got off to?" Kurt asks shrilly, his voice echoing around the kitchen.

"Eh, I think she's in the back…" Jackson says uncertainly before ducking out of the door with a new tray of entrees.

"Right." Kurt mutters, edging his way through the labyrinth of stoves, ovens and countertops. When he reaches the back of the enormous room, he looks around confusedly. "Where did she…?"

Then, Kurt hears something. A sound he's heard many times before in the hallways of McKinley, something he's vowed never to do publicly with anyone…some couple is making out.

Kurt stalks to the source of the noise, mentally rolling his eyes. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't want to be in the uncomfortable position of finding some couple swapping spit, but Susan needed to get back to work pronto.

Then, he sees the silhouette of two people hidden in some storage room, but they are so close, they could be one.

He groans. "Susan, get out here! I'm sure whatever this is it can wait until-HOLY CRAP!"

When the couple jumps apart, Kurt can see him. See the outline of his Mohawk, the way he slumps his shoulders and when he moves closer, he is certain.

"Noah? What the heck do you think you're doing?" Kurt says, too shocked to yell.

Puck doesn't speak. Doesn't come any closer. He just stands there, a dark look on his face.

_At least the boy has the decency to look abashed,_ he thinks, but quickly overrides the thought.

"Noah? Is that your name?" a disheveled Susan asks Puck. He turns his head and ignores her.

"You better get back to work," Kurt threatens, narrowing his eyes at her, "Right now."

Susan looks at him with wide eyes. "Sure thing, kiddo…" she says slowly, as if wondering what the big deal was. Kurt has half a mind to slap her. She saunters away, but not before shooting a quick wink to Puck. Again, he ignores her.

Kurt round back onto the taller boy. "What the hell was that?!" he demands, his voice rising to a screech. Puck just stares steadily at the ground. "I can't believe you…no, actually I can. I _knew_ you were no good for her, I knew it! But she liked you too much to see reason!" Kurt fumes. "Now what am I supposed to do?!" He asks, and then starts pacing the floor.

Of course he has to tell Danielle. That's obvious. Puck-he-he cheated! With a waitress! Right when Danielle was in the very next room! How gross and cruel was that?

Kurt was disgusted, he was furious…but he knew he couldn't tell her, not yet. Everything was going so wonderfully, and Danielle seemed to be having a great time (despite her boyfriends lack of attention). How could Kurt ruin that now?

Kurt pauses and takes a deep breath before turning back to face Puck.

"I've made a decision…" Puck's face is bleak, but he still refuses to meet Kurt's scorching gaze. "…I'm not going to tell her about this tonight." The small boy says decisively, "I won't ruin this night for her, I can't do that." Puck's shoulders drop and he exhales in relief. "But," Kurt continues, "I want you to be the one to tell her what you did."

It is at that moment that Puck looks up at him, his dark eyes unreadable and his face impassive. But then, he opens his mouth and says, "I'm so sorry…but I can't do that."

He says it heavily as if it is a difficult task, and Kurt is taken aback for a moment.

"I will give you until Monday morning." He says, adamantly, "If you don't talk to her by then, I will." Kurt's voice softens ever so slightly. "I'm giving you a chance to be a man and do the right thing. Please, for her sake, take it."

Puck nods his head slowly and then turns and lumbers away, back towards the front of the kitchen. Kurt stands there for a minute or two longer, soaking in everything that had just transpired before shaking himself off and going back into host-mode.

He quickly walks back to the dining room entrance, but pauses in the doorway.

He sees Puck slowly approaching Danielle, who is sitting at her table, watching the dancers on the floor. Kurt watches as he bends down beside her, surprising her, and takes her hand, whispering in her ear. She looks a little shocked for a moment, but nods and happily takes his other hand as he leads her to the dance floor.

It is there, when she is dancing in Puck's arms, that Danielle has the most content look about her that Kurt has ever seen. So blissful…so happy…

Kurt's heart nearly breaks at the sight.

…

Scene Six: Choir Room

Danielle walks into the choir room the next Monday just as the bell rings. Avoiding everyone's gaze, she sits alone in the corner of the front row, far away from _him_, just waiting…

She's all alone on this one. With Kurt's absence, there is only one other person in this room who knows what she does. She hasn't confronted him. Hasn't even spoken to him since she found out what happened from Kurt.

He didn't even have the balls to _tell_ her.

_Well, they'll all find out soon enough, _she thinks darkly,mentally preparing herself for what she was about to do.

"Okay, okay guys!" Mr. Schu calls the group to attention, "The wedding was great, but we have got to get ready for Sectional's next week-"

"Mr. Schu?" Danielle asks, unable to contain herself any longer, "can I please have the floor for a minute?"

Since it was so rare for her to ask, Mr. Schu just shrugs and steps back, watching her curiously.

"Tina, Brittany? Can you two back me up?"

The two girls stand slowly, hesitantly walking to the front of the choir room. When Danielle tells them her song selection, they raise their brows, but nod. They are with her.

Danielle talks to the band for a second, and then positions herself in the center of the room, her back to her audience. She gives no preamble to her audience, but simply nods to the band and the music starts.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa_

Brittany and Tina sing together.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa_

Then Danielle turns around and starts to sing, almost angrily, but still controlled.

_You were talking to her, but messing with me_

_It's finally clear you're blurring the lines._

The Glee clubbers look in the direction of Danielle's gaze and sees Puck, sitting with his head bent and shoulder slumped. Obviously something has happened. Puck's face is unreadable.

_Can't understand? I'll slow it down for you._

_Tell me, how can you sleep? How can you breathe?_

_Baby, tell me how, how you love me now…_

As Danielle sings, she stays in the center of the room, immobile, but radiating a strong presence all the same. Rachel has to resist the urge to take notes on how to perform with intense anger, betrayal, and, ultimately, heartbrokenness.

_Tell me, how can you sleep? How can you breathe?_

_I _hate_ when you say how you love me now…_

Suddenly, Danielle jerks forward, moving in towards Puck's seat. When he is right in front of him, she waits. Waits for him to look up. To see him show some kind of remorse. But he doesn't.

_Lights out, I found out my falling star. (Woah-oh-oh-oh)_

_Goodbye, the sun rises here. _

_There's no more you and I!_

The last line is what does it. Puck lifts his head to look at his girlfriend-ex-girlfriend, as she officially breaks up with him. After Danielle takes the last note higher than the original song, she is breathing hard and looks desperately at Puck for some kind of emotion. The two stare at each other for a moment as Tina and Brittany continue singing back-up.

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa_

_Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa_

His eyes seem to plead with her, to look remorseful for what he's done. But after an instant, he blinks and it is gone. Danielle turns away from him and starts walking deliberately back to center stage.

_Tell me, how can you sleep? How can you breathe?_

_Baby, tell me how, how you love me now…_

_Tell me, how can you sleep? How can you breathe?_

_I _hate_ when you say how you love me now…_

She turns around just as the song starts to end. Brittany and Tina are still singing very loudly in the background and Danielle finishes strong, closing her eyes and letting it all go.

_How you love me now…_

_How you love me now…__  
_  
When she finishes, there is no applause, only awkward silence.

Danielle, still breathing hard, nods once. "Thanks. I needed that. I'm done now," she tells an open-mouthed Mr. Schu and then takes her seat.

"And apparently, so are you and Puckerman…" Santana murmurs.

"Santana." Mr. Schu scolds, but Danielle just shrugs. It was true. _It's really true…_

"Ok…" her teacher starts, unsure of where to next. "Let's, uh, take five everyone."

The kids all stand up, gathering in their little circles, anxious to get each other's input on the latest Glee club scandal. Danielle and Puck remain rooted in their seats.

Just then, Kurt comes into the choir room looking red-eyed and very stiff. Danielle doesn't even notice his entrance at first.

"Oh, Kurt, there you are, good." Mr. Schu says brightly, "I wanna talk to you about this amazing idea I had for a solo for you at Sectionals."

Kurt's already melancholy expression falls. "Um, can I make an announcement first?"

Suddenly everyone's attention is on Kurt. _What happened? Why does he look so sad?_

Danielle still sits slumped over in her seat, feeling to crappy to deal with anything at that moment.

After Danielle's display, Mr. Schu seems a little reluctant to let Kurt speak, but he pats him on the shoulder and sits down anyway. "Sure…"

Kurt faces his peers, "First I wanted to thank everyone for what you did at my Dad's wedding, especially Finn. It's nice to know that I have great friends here…"

Everyone smiles at Kurt's thanks.

"-which is why it's so hard for me to leave." The boy finishes.

The room freezes. Literally, freezes. There is absolute silence as everyone takes in Kurt's words.

"What do you mean, "leave"?" Quinn finally asks.

Danielle, for her part, can't speak, can't move. A part of her already knows. Always knew. Kurt's reply just confirmed it.

"I'm transferring to Dalton Academy," he says, "immediately."

The room stirs as Danielle puts her head in her hands. She doesn't think she can handle this right now. It's too much, too much…

Kurt explains to his friends how Burt and Carole decided to use the money from their honeymoon savings to cover the tuition at Dalton when Finn interrupts.

"What the hell, dude? How about you talk with me about this?" he sounds genuinely upset.

Danielle hates herself for agreeing, but this wasn't about her. It was about Kurt and what was best for him. And in her heart of hearts, she knew that Dalton was just that.

Still, she didn't want him to go…

"I'm sorry, Finn, but there's nothing to talk about. Karofsky's coming back tomorrow so that means I won't be." Kurt says simply.

"We can protect you."

"Seriously. We can form a perimeter."

"Like the secret service."

"Yeah."

The kids all start chattering, pleading with Kurt to stay, giving him promises that they can't keep.

"The only thing that can protect me is what they have at Dalton: a zero-tolerance bullying policy." Kurt says, "It's enforced." He adds, to which Mr. Schu nods. He hasn't said anything yet.

"Um, does this mean that you're gonna be competing against us at Sectionals?" Rachel asks, making even more people stir uncomfortably.

Finally, Mercedes stands up and walk towards her best friend. "Kurt?" she pleads, her voice breaking. She puts her arms out towards him. _Please, don't go…_

But Kurt just shakes his head, crying now. "I'm sorry. I-" He starts backing away towards the door. "I-I have to…"

At that moment, Danielle launches herself out of her seat.

"Kurt!" She almost yells as she flings herself at him, capturing him in her embrace. Kurt throws his arms around her as well and starts shaking with sobs. Danielle is tearing up a little too.

After a moment, she pulls back and looks him in the eye.

"Now, you listen to me, okay? Don't talk, just listen." She commands him, and he shakes out a nod, "You are going to be _amazing_, all right? Okay? _Amazing_."

Kurt rattles out a breath as she continues encouraging him. "You'll make new friends and-and learn new things and you're going to be safe. No more bullies, no more fear. And you should know that we will all be here, rooting for you, no matter where you go. All right?" Kurt just leans into her shoulder again, crying some more.

Danielle gently pats the back of his head as he kisses her cheek. Then, she steps away and rubs her eyes with the back of her hand. "Now-now you go, okay?" she sniffles.

Kurt nods once and starts walking away again, looking a little surer of himself and of his decision.

Danielle turns away from him and is about to take her seat, when she gets an idea, a petty, downright mean, idea that could cause some trouble.

But she doesn't care.

"Hey, Kurt?" she calls, her voice still a little thick.

He turns around, piqued.

She gives him a wet grin, "Say "hi" to Blaine and Jared for me, will you?"

At her words, Kurt gives Danielle wisp of a smile, nods silently, and then heads out the choir room door.

And then, Danielle is left all alone again. This time, it is worse in some ways and better in others, but honestly, she doesn't think she can handle it again.

But not without some help from an old vice.

…

_**REVIEW PLEASE**_


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